Fallen
by river of the sand
Summary: It was war, and in war there was always sacrifice. Sakura thought she understood that, she thought she understood loss. But love changes everything: it leaves us vulnerable, but can also raise us high – and the higher we go, the further we have to fall. NejiSaku. *Full summary within.*
1. Prologue

Summary: It was war, and in war, there was always sacrifice. Sakura thought she understood that, she thought she understood loss. But love changes everything: it leaves us vulnerable, but can also raise us high – and the higher we go, the further we have to fall. Naruto's obsession with getting Sasuke back to the leaf, coupled with Sasuke's hatred for a Konoha that stole his revenge: the backdrop to a blossoming NejiSaku.

–

**Author's Notes: I know I'm not supposed to be posting this yet but dammit, I love this fic. I'd say slap me silly, but I'm already there lol. ;)  
Anyway, this is my first completely NejiSaku multichapter, and "excited" doesn't quite cover how I'm feeling about it. It's also a test run: if you guys like it, it'll continue, if not then… well, on top of being sad, I probably won't want it to continue either. This is where I cheer myself up and hope for the best. And just in case you're wondering, I am NOT a fan of unhappy endings. :) Enjoy. n_n **

–

**Fallen**  
Prologue

–

"_Every step we take is watched, every word we speak is analysed, and everything we are is judged."_

–

The unexpected smell of burnt flesh permeated their senses, like a sign from Kami for what was to come. It seemed like the entire battlefield was on fire – a fire jutsu cast over a sea of oil and liquid tar was a dangerous combination. The Shinobi in the area had only a moment's warning before it exploded. The fire raced toward them faster than the eye could follow and they barely had time to scream as the flames engulfed them.

The strained laughter followed the rising heat and a dark figure disappeared into the flames.

Naruto Uzumaki had been looking forward to this fight for a long time – the last bout between rivals that was supposed to put the Uchiha in his place – not to mention finally bring him home. But instead, he'd arrived upon a battlefield born of fire and butchery. The inferno was too strong, rendering water jutsus useless: his Wind Release would only fan these flames.

He peered into the dancing flames. Sasuke was in there somewhere, probably using Susanoo as a shield against the fire. He knew the arrogant son of a bitch was goading him, daring him to follow him in. But the question was _how_?

The katon no jutsu came out of nowhere and realising he wasn't alone, Naruto flickered out of the area, Sasuke's screams of "coward!" ringing in his ear. Yeah, like he was going to rush in and get incinerated for his troubles – he wasn't the idiotic Genin the Uchiha remembered.

"Naruto!"

Sakura Haruno, being the only medic Naruto had seen escape the battle of Nagi Island, had followed him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked angrily. "Where's–"

"I don't know."

Sakura had lost sight of her team, the two Hyuugas that had travelled with her, not to mention her old team mate and ex-Sensei.

"I really don't know Naruto."

"Get out of here," he hissed uncharacteristically, but she just shook her head.

"You're going to need a medic."

Naruto growled but couldn't fight her logic. "Just stay back."

Sakura darted away as the laughing figure in the flames called out to the blonde, keeping one eye on Naruto and one on their enemy. He looked madder than last time, emerging from the fire with a bloodthirsty look on his face.

Sakura felt her body being pulled almost immediately and cursed her stupidity. Naruto may not want her to fight, but Sasuke had other ideas. It was reminiscent of Pein, this uncontrollable magnetism that was drawing her toward the Uchiha – he was still surrounded by flame, the unearthly form of Susanoo protecting him and looking to sever her head from her shoulders.

Naruto activated his Sage Mode and threw a gust of wind at her – just enough to counteract the pull – wincing apologetically as she slammed into a tree almost fifteen feet away from the inferno.

"Sakura!"

The sound of the Hyuuga calling her name brought the pinkette around, shifting from her upright position against the tree as she lost sight of both Sasuke and Naruto. The fire was spreading now and in the few seconds it took her to get her bearings, the fire of Sasuke's jutsu was lapping at her feet. Naruto's attack, though having saved her life, had fanned the flames after all.

Sakura jumped up, forcing chakra to her feet as she went, trying to get clear of the blaze.

Sakura couldn't see him through the mist, the smoke, and the hazy tears that were forming in her eyes. She'd come too far to give up now – love and recognition wasn't something to be so easily tossed aside. But despite her best efforts, she couldn't see him, she couldn't feel him, and as the sound of laughter reached her ears, she cursed Sasuke Uchiha. He'd made a mockery of everything she'd worked for, attacked everyone she loved, and was hell bent on using Tobi's Moon's Eye Plan, not to draw the world into a genjutsu, but to destroy it.

"Sakura…"

His voice wasn't warm or inviting and she flinched as the raven haired man grabbed her roughly from behind.

"I told you I'd make you pay."

Yes, he had indeed threatened the rest of Team Seven with suffering beyond imagining – and she had believed every word.

–XXX–

**A/N: I've been wanting to do a prologue for a fic and this is it. Hopefully it's a nice balance between entertaining and intriguing. I read another fic with a "sneak peek" for a prologue AGES ago, but while this is also a "sneak peek" so to speak, it's very different. Not that it matters. n_n  
Anyway, fair warning: I don't hate Sasuke (most of the time… or some of the time – still haven't quite decided on that). And there will be no bashing (unless Karin makes a cameo). My goal in this fic is to keep him close to canon, personality-wise, with my own twists as the story unfolds. Cheers! XD**


	2. Sanctuary

**Author's Notes:  
Obviously, this isn't to canon – who follows it, really? Word for word, blow by blow… *dozes off and begins to snore*. My point is, please don't complain when something doesn't seem "quite right" – I assure you it is all intentional and ultimately justified. Also, this first scene is just setting things up for more important stuff, so sorry if it seems to drag on. I don't think it does, but you guys might. :)**

**Anyway, just to reiterate, the prologue was a portent of things to come, not an introduction. Enjoy. n_n **

–

**Fallen**  
Chapter One: Sanctuary.

–

"_In mourning and anguish we grieve for our loss, but in the end, our hearts never truly move on."_

–

The fourth Shinobi war was devastating to all the five great hidden villages. It left them weak to further infiltration, and brought all economic issues as well as ninja systems to a screeching halt. Once the Akatsuki were finally dealt with, the aftermath and the death toll had brought the Shinobi villages to their knees. They were no longer "_great_", with villages such as Getsugakure, Kusagakure, and Moyagakure joining to infiltrate them in turn.

This was just further proof that the days of majesty for the Kage controlled villages were behind them. Konohagakure however, was spared further invasion, as it had already been pilfered by the subordinates of Akatsuki. But even after everything that had happened, none of the Kage run villages regretted pooling their resources to stop Tobi – they just needed to rebuild.

Unfortunately, even that was coming to an end.

In the wake of the corruption in the villages that had caused an organisation such as Akatsuki to be created, the daimyo for each great nation had investigated the Kages. They unanimously decided to execute several high profile people, including Danzou Shimura, the elderly advisors Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, as well as council members from each of the five villages.

It was meant as a gesture, to show that they wouldn't tolerate fraudulence in the Shinobi: but the response had been anything but affirming. There were murmurings true, but the main problem was a rogue ninja who'd escaped the net that had caught and killed every known former Akatsuki member.

Sasuke Uchiha had survived the battle that took down the last of the resurrected Shinobi. And robbed of his revenge on Danzou, he declared war on Konoha.

It was far more disturbing than it sounded – three days ago, the fire daimyo had been found, having drowned in a pool of his own blood, and the fan symbol of the Uchiha carved into his body over and over again.

And it was just the beginning.

Sasuke was the only loose end now. And from the lack of documentation on his part in the fourth Shinobi war, they had no idea what to expect ‒ and no idea what was coming.

The wind swept through Konoha, bristling over the empty roads, rooftops, and walkways as the village hidden in the leaves once again prepared for war. The rebuilding of Konoha had been stalled several times ‒ due to both the arrival of refugees and inflow of ninja casualties during the fourth Shinobi war ‒ but the evacuation was going according to plan.

The last time the village had looked this empty was shortly after the last time Akatsuki made to snatch Naruto. All their bolstering had been for nothing when Pein finally attacked, and for a short time after the Shinra Tensei had flattened their town, no-one lived in it. Temporary settlements were again to be used in light of this newest threat, but they couldn't risk setting up where they had before.

But for now, there was no immediate danger, so Sakura Haruno was enjoying her last day in Konoha, wondering how long it would be before she could see her home again. She wandered through the empty streets, taking in the sight of half-finished buildings and abandoned homes. It was depressing, but she found herself feeling nostalgic as well. She'd considered leaving Konoha once, in a rash attempt to follow her heart, but looking back at it, she was glad her heart had moved on.

Konoha was her home, no matter how long it took before she could come back.

She thought about the last year as she moved out of the commerce district and ambled toward her old home.

After the death of Tobi, the retrieval of every bijuu (loose or sealed), and finalising of the prison sentences for all rogue ninja who weren't executed, the ninja nations seemed to settle into something that resembled peace. There were no more threats… save for one.

'_Sasuke.'_

She still lamented over the loss of her former team mate. For a while during the war, she'd thought he was dead – eye witness reports had spoken of a fight between him and Tobi, and for weeks, only Tobi had been spotted by allied forces. To this day, they still didn't know what had turned the two against each other, but Tobi was dead and Sasuke wasn't in any mood to explain his actions to a group of people he wanted to kill.

Her reminiscing was brought to an end almost ten minutes into her internal musings at the sound of a familiar voice.

Sakura found her blonde haired team mate arguing with a few leaf civilians. It was a family, and the knucklehead was attempting to gently nudge an old man she recognised as Onmu.

"Move it old man," Naruto Uzumaki said, and Onmu flipped his finger at the jinchuriki, while his family looked on calmly, used to his brashness.

Onmu had known Sakura's parents for years and at their funeral, he had argued with the Hokage over Tsunade officially adopting the pinkette. It was gossip juicy enough to keep people talking for months afterward, apparently.

"I _am_ moving," Onmu said grouchily.

"You're inching along like a snail, and the snail at least has the decency to _try_ to move faster."

"Naruto," Sakura snapped, drawing his attention and watching as he instinctively flinched, worried she was going to hit him. "Stop being rude."

"He took me straight out of my bath water," Onmu said like a bratty child.

"I did _not_!" Naruto half shrieked. "You were shaving your beard you liar, and were fully covered at the time!"

"I had to get changed to leave!" Onmu snapped.

"Because you insisted on taking your clothes off first!" Naruto wailed, and then smacked his own forehead, realising what he'd just said.

"He's just riling you up," Sakura interrupted, as he went to rant again. "He does that."

The old man's family remained quiet as the jinchuriki fought his desire to just flicker away and leave Onmu to his fate. In the end, he started tugging at the man's wife, son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren, pretending Onmu didn't exist.

"We don't have time for this," the blonde said. "Teme is coming‒"

Sakura's eyes widened. "What?"

"Teme is coming," Naruto repeated, as though it was the clearest explanation in the world. "He's got these weird clones and they were spotted not far from here this morning. Let's _go_!"

Before Sakura could complain about the _baka_ not telling her this before now, another familiar pain in her arse flickered in front of her, ignoring the shock and indignation on her face.

"They're coming," Sai said, uncharacteristically impatient, "_now_." He spun around, and without asking if Onmu was ready, grabbed him roughly and Shunshined away with the entire family.

"Come on Sakura," Naruto said, taking her hand, and they darted away, in the direction of the main exit.

Pausing at the gate, Sakura glanced back at the village, her eyes flickering over the Hokage Monument in the distance. A strange shadow had formed over the image but she couldn't see anything in the sky above it. She felt uneasy, staring at the monument. The explosion that followed the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach almost knocked her off of her feet and she watched, horror stricken as the Kage faces broke apart.

"Sakura, come on!" Naruto yelled, and pulled her along as the followed the group of some two hundred civilians and five other ninja, into the forest.

Sakura was surprised that the blonde wasn't running back into the village, intent on taking out the weird clones he talked about. Several figures rushed past her and she spotted the ceramic masks of the ANBU before leaving them behind. They were covering their escape with genjutsu and traps, but she wondered if it would be enough. And Sakura was itching for a fight.

"Damn it," Naruto said a few minutes later of walking through the thicket – they were keeping off of the main thoroughfare in an attempt to evade their enemy in case they were followed. "I _really_ need to kick that _teme's_ arse."

"What did you mean by weird clones Naruto?" Sakura asked, glancing around, looking for Sai – he seemed to have disappeared.

"They look like teme," Naruto said, kicking a tree root as they passed and pulling a face. "They even sound and smell like him – but they don't use their Sharingan, and their abilities seem limited to taijutsu and a handful of common ninjutsu. It takes a lot to kill them, and if you try to capture or incapacitate them, they just _die_, like a self-destruct thing."

"Weird."

"Exactly."

"That's why you're not rampaging through Konoha right now, taking them out."

Naruto gave her a foul glare. "It does no good in the end, and we need to get these civilians to safety."

Sakura agreed. She couldn't begin to express how grateful she was that Naruto had grown up during the war. He was still an unpredictable knucklehead, but he'd finally started _using_ his head.

They moved through the civilians, and she discovered that the other ninja in their group, besides Sai, were two ANBU she didn't recognise, Iwashi Tatami, Raido Namiashi, and Anko Mitarashi. She could've done without the snake mistress – the woman freaked her out – but Iwashi and Raido were friendly enough.

Half a day passed without incident, and it was as the sun was setting that the clones of Sasuke finally caught up with them. Naruto mumbled something about smelling blood on them and then moved into a fighting stance. Sai immediately drew a large inanimate object to cut the civilians off from the fighting and Sakura shivered in the next moment – Anko's snakes were loose.

She forced herself to focus, jumping out of the way of a kunai thrown her way. Naruto was right about them seeming different – she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Sasuke use a kunai, as he always used his Kusanagi or Sharingan: both of which seemed to be missing from the clones.

"Sakura."

But they certainly _sounded_ like her old crush.

She spun around; a roundhouse kick sent the nearest clone flying. She hadn't had time to push chakra to her fists before being accosted, but now sent a punch into the ground to tear up the battlefield. She watched her companions carefully, timing her attack and sending out some clones of her own as the sixteen copies of Sasuke Uchiha came down on them hard.

"Watch out Sakura!" Anko called.

A dagger flew by Sakura's ear as she realised something was behind her, and imbedded in a clone – the copy didn't dissolve into a puff of smoke, and Anko cursed under her breath, throwing herself at it, summoning her Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, to finish the job.

"Sakura."

'_What the hell?'_

Several more clones were breaking away from their opponent and heading straight for her – Sakura noticed suddenly that they were dividing themselves between herself, Naruto and Sai. Iwashi and Raido were fighting alongside her boys, while Anko refused to leave her side. What was going on?

"They're targeting you lot," Anko said. She grunted, sending fire to engulf another clone.

"It doesn't matter!" Naruto called out. "Just kill them!"

Sakura's mind however, was reeling at this revelation. Was it possible that she, Naruto, and Sai were the whole reason for this attack? She understood that in his mind, Sasuke would want to kill Naruto, and might take the time to kill her because she was there, but why Sai? Was it because he was a member of Team Kakashi?

She ducked a thrown kunai and quickly retaliated on the clone in question; her chakra infused fist shattered it on contact… interesting. This wasn't a clone at all – Sasuke had clearly created some new form of duplication which had nothing in common with regular or shadow clones other than the imitation itself.

Another clone.

She was getting fed up with this.

But before she could do anything, this last clone disappeared; a kunai flying through the dissipating form missed Sakura by mere inches.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" She snapped at the newcomer. "That was _my_ kill!"

The new arrival sighed heavily – Yamato had his ANBU mask on, but quickly lifted it to reveal his stern face. "This is serious Sakura," he said evenly. "Those weren't normal clones – we tracked them here in order to capture one."

"'_We'_?" She asked, shifting slightly to look behind him.

Kakashi had been hiding behind the wood jutsu specialist, and gave Sakura a jovial "yo" before reprimanding Yamato – the latter immediately replaced his mask. Both Shinobi wore the porcelain masks of the ANBU, though Sakura could've sworn Kakashi hadn't made any official requests to return to active duty. As Tsunade's assistant over the past few months, Sakura would have noticed if his name had been added to the list.

"It's a long story," Kakashi said, correctly interpreting the stunned look on her face. "But for now, we should come with you."

"We can handle it," Naruto said, taking offence to the insinuation they needed help.

"We're heading your way anyway," Yamato said. "Where's Sai?"

Sakura turned around – the ex-Root member had disappeared again. He wasn't the only one – while she was distracted, only Naruto and Anko had remained in the immediate vicinity: the fighting was over, for now.

"He's rounding up the herd," Anko said matter-of-factly, referring to the civilians. "Iwashi and Raido are helping him." She turned away from Yamato and frowned at Kakashi. "Everyone here knows who you are – why the masks?"

He shook his head, refusing to respond.

"The clones are dealt with," Yamato said, disappointed that none had survived long enough to be captured, but not surprised that the last few had self-destructed once outnumbered. It was starting to grate on his nerves. "Let's set up camp for the night and move to the temporary settlements in the morning."

–XXX–

It took a further three days with civilians in tow, but they'd finally found the ninja settlement – a group of Shinobi were assigned to escort them to another settlement the next day, taking them off of their hands.

The rest of the Konoha eleven were supposedly here, and Sakura was excited about joining them for an early dinner when Hinata Hyuuga found her shortly after arriving. She invited Naruto and Sai as well – the former was _very_ excited to see her and ran off with her immediately.

The encampment smelled nice as the sun began to set, and dinner was served in the mess tent. Sakura was disappointed to find that a number of the Konoha eleven had been reassigned in the last few hours since her arrival. She hadn't seen any of them for almost a week, and it was just herself, Naruto, Hinata, Sai, Kiba Inuzuka, and Akamaru sitting at the small table for half an hour.

"Yamato constructed most of this camp," Kiba was saying, tossing a piece of meat to Akamaru. "He's constructed most of the settlements from what I've heard."

"That jutsu of his does come in handy," Hinata agreed. She glanced at Sakura. "The Kages are all here too."

The pinkette frowned as she stared at her food.

"I thought that good for nothing cousin of yours was still in the encampment," Kiba said to Hinata, ignoring the way Sakura's face flushed.

"He's… busy," the dark haired girl countered, becoming just as interested in staring at her food as the pinkette was.

"He works too hard," Naruto said between mouthfuls. "He needs to get laid."

Hinata turned scarlet and Sai cocked his head at her. "Wasn't he dating Tenten?"

"Not anymore," she said, glancing at Sakura again. "Not for a while."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Yes well, while this is all _fascinating_, my question still stands. The one I asked last night," he added at the confused faces.

Hinata sat up straight. "I don't think the Kazekage needs help getting over himself."

"Gaara doesn't have a stick up his butt," Naruto snapped at Kiba. "He's just misunderstood." He glared at him. "Sakura has spent more time with him than I have, so she can tell you: right‒"

"Excuse me." Sakura stood up abruptly, bowed slightly and practically ran from the mess tent. The conversation was upsetting her. She'd told Hinata about her failed relationship with Gaara, but had neglected to remind her she didn't want to talk about him anymore. After all, her heart had moved on…

She slipped into the one person tent that had been designated hers upon her arrival and was just about to start getting dressed for bed when she sensed something.

'_Wait…'_

The chakra approaching her tent was familiar. But Sakura was surprised to see the porcelain mask hiding his face when she allowed him entry. When had he returned to the ANBU?

"Haruno-san," the ANBU said politely. "You are wanted in the war room."

–XXX–

The war room was a room by title only. It was more like a circus tent, and the players were just as ridiculous as the idea of clowns and human flamethrowers with no ninja training.

Tsunade had always _hated_ the circus.

She was currently trying to convince the other Kages to stop thinking of Sasuke Uchiha as a single problem that a few hand signs or well-placed spies were more than capable of finding and dealing with. After all, he'd declared _war_ on Konoha, not challenged them to a game of shogi. Unfortunately, their dismissal of him was a far more common trait these days than it should be. Without Tobi by his side, not to mention any of the other Akatsuki members, he was still an insurmountable threat, but so many people (ninja or not), were underestimating him, thinking him useless without his Taka team or Tobi to tell him "what to do".

Apparently, the assassination of the fire daimyo wasn't enough for them, not to mention the rumour that he was the one who killed Tobi. She _hated_ stupid people.

They were so scared of him during the fourth Shinobi war, but now, without an actual army behind him, he wasn't viewed a high priority inter-country threat… it was getting ridiculous.

Tsunade believed however, that a lot of these shifting perceptions were due to ignorance more than anything. The ninja of Konohagakure knew what Sasuke was capable of, as were the random Shinobi from the last war who had had the good fortune to escape anytime Sasuke was in the area – he was dangerous, and not to be underestimated. He'd started up Orochimaru's experiments after killing Kabuto and was even rumoured to have fused Zetsu to the medic's still warm body.

The resulting creature had torn through a valley of civilian villages before being stopped by Naruto and Killer B. There was no reason to believe that Sasuke wasn't going to pull all out the stops in this new bid for vengeance. The only problem was, with Tobi and the rest of Akatsuki dead (Team Taka was imprisoned), there was no telling where the last Uchiha would get his allies from. They needed to band together – even if Sasuke _was_ alone (clones notwithstanding), Tsunade had no intention of underestimating him.

This was why she'd called this summit – at the centre of what used to be the southern fire temple, a the settlement had been built using Yamato's abilities, along with using what remained of the temple after the war. The makeshift tent that was the "war room" had been assembled hastily, but protected with the strongest jutsu they knew, and guarded by a small army – which consisted of the ninja in the encampment. Inside the marquee tent, the five Kages sat at separate tables, each the size of a school desk, arranged in a semi-circle – with Tsunade in the centre, the Kazekage and Mizukage to her right, while the Raikage and Tsuchikage sat to her left.

The issue of Sasuke's revenge on Konoha was never going to get old.

"It isn't our concern," the Tsuchikage stated in a rather high pitched voice.

"And how do you figure that?" Tsunade asked. "Sasuke Uchiha has attacked all the great hidden villages at one point or another – he could easily decide to turn around and do it again."

"I agree," Gaara said calmly. "When it comes to the Uchiha, being ill prepared would mean certain death. This is only going to escalate."

"How can you possibly know that for sure?" Mei asked. She agreed they were all potential targets, if for nothing else than being allies with the Uchiha's sworn enemy, but she was curious as to how the Kazekage had arrived at this conjecture.

"Baki," he said shortly. The former squad Sensei of the Kazekage nodded his head, bowed slightly, and left the tent.

"What are you up to Sabaku?" Ooniki asked, narrowing his eyes.

Gaara ignored his question, but inclined his head to draw attention a moment later, to his second in command's return to the makeshift tent. Baki was holding a man shackled by the wrists; unkempt and shivering, the man was clearly a Shinobi – his headband indicated he'd defected from Moyagakure.

Baki manhandled the Shinobi, forcing his neck to the side to reveal a cursed seal on his neck. There was a collective gasp from those present and the former Sensei to the Kazekage seemed to revel in this. The seal on the man's neck was similar to some of the types Orochimaru had experimented with, but there was no telling what this one did. Jūgo was imprisoned and out of Sasuke's reach, so it made him wonder _how_ this one had been made. Suna fuuin experts had estimated that this seal was too recent to have been made by Orochimaru himself.

It was just another something in a long line of issues about the Uchiha they'd yet to figure out.

"Tell everyone what you told me," Baki growled, making the man tremble violently.

"Sasuke-sama has infiltrated most villages with spies left over from the fall of the Akatsuki," he mumbled, and then fell silent, mouthing a prayer to Kami.

"Pitiful," Ooniki said, looking down at the man.

At the nod from his Kazekage, Baki escorted the man out of the tent.

"But truthful," Gaara said.

"So what does this mean?" Mei asked. "With everything that happened in the last war, how are we to know who to trust now?"

"We trust each other," Tsunade said, "and we trust those we already know."

A grunted. "Figures you'd say that; what's your plan?"

"The encampments currently in use by leaf ninja aren't enough to accommodate us and the civilians," she said. "Firstly, the villages under the control of Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure in their respective countries have more than enough room for anyone willing to leave the land of fire for safety."

"You wish for temporary accommodations?" Gaara asked, slightly surprised.

"For the civilians affected by the evacuation of Konoha," Tsunade said. "I want them to decide where they go, though."

"Awfully soft in your old age," A said good-humouredly.

"Say that again," Tsunade snarled, cracking her knuckles. "I _dare_ you."

He chuckled. "Now I remember why I agreed to come here – you're so much fun to tease Tsunade."

"Come in," Tsunade said, instead of responding.

The ANBU she'd sent to collect Sakura had returned with her. He stood to the side as the pinkette entered and bowed respectfully.

"And what are you to offer in return for sanctuary for the civilians?" Ooniki asked, genuinely curious.

"My former apprentice," Tsunade offered.

Sakura's eyes widened. What the hell? Was Tsunade-shishou selling her to the highest bidder?

"You've already stated at other meetings that none of the current treaties would give you cause to have your apprentice leave Konoha, let alone live in another village for the rest of her life," Mei said, amused. "What makes you think anyone here believes you'd suddenly–"

"As fun as it sounds to tease Sakura, and lead you on," Tsunade interrupted, "that's not what I meant."

She'd already gone down _that_ road – the Hokage had become more protective of Sakura when her parents died and had already overstepped her boundaries on that front.

"I received reports that several of your infantries are currently without high levelled medics – is this correct?" They all nodded reluctantly and she continued. "I propose that Sakura joins one or more to help get you ready for the influx – from what I hear, you'll need the help."

Ooniki grunted. "It's nothing we can't handle – Iwa handles its own problems Hokage-sama."

"It is a shame you've learnt nothing since the onset of the fourth Shinobi war," A said to Ooniki. "I too am wary about getting involved with this, as the Uchiha is clearly insane to attack so many on his own, but he is not lame. He has already attacked several villages in key positions around all the nations – we can't ignore this forever. And we decided during that war that the great ninja nations would no longer ignore the call of another. Naruto Uzumaki taught us this, remember?"

Gaara smiled slightly at the sound of his friend's name, but it was gone a moment later when he glanced at the pinkette – she was uncharacteristically quiet for such a temperamental person. Tsunade was, even though she wouldn't admit it, pimping out her skills. Even though this was a ninja's duty, he was surprised she didn't look ready to contest this.

"No way," Sakura snapped, causing the Kazekage to raise his non-existent eyebrows. "I am not going to‒"

"Sakura," Tsunade said, warning her. She indicated to the ANBU near her. "You will have a personal bodyguard – your safety will be his first and only priority as you travel. This is only temporary, so please, no childish antics – I don't want to spend all night arguing with you, knowing it's just inevitable."

Sakura sighed, lowering her head in defeat.

"Cheer up," Mei told her. "My battle contingents are a medic's wet dream in terms of resources, and you'll be treated well."

"And you'll be the boss," A said. "You can tell me to shut my big gob if you'd like."

Ooniki snickered at him. "I'd like to see that."

Tsunade sighed as they bickered, her eyes drifting to the Kazekage as he stole glances at her apprentice.

Tsunade was one of the few who knew very well that Gaara and Sakura had a history, and she didn't want the Kazekage to try reigniting her student's feelings for him. Offering Sakura's services wasn't an easy decision for her as she was desperately protective of the pinkette, but it became unavoidable. She was the new, bright, and shiny toy when it came to medic frontrunners these days. And in order to secure the safety of the refugees (not to mention Konoha civilians with them), it was a necessary sacrifice on both of their parts.

Mei interrupted the bickering Raikage and Tsuchikage, curious about Sakura's new bodyguard. "Do you have a name?"

Tsunade nodded to the Hyuuga and Neji removed his mask; Sakura smiled slightly at the look on Mei's face – she was definitely a sucker for a "pretty face". He introduced himself and the Hokage gave him permission to keep the mask off.

"This isn't an ANBU mission," the blonde said. "You'll need to treat it as a normal S rank mission."

He nodded. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Neji Hyuuga was the perfect person to make sure that Sakura kept on task, as professionalism was his middle name… unofficially. She still hadn't decided whether or not to make it official.

Tsunade inwardly chuckled at that and met Gaara's pale eyes with an aloof stare of her own. He knew she knew: he still had feelings for her former student and to the Hokage (because she knew _him_) it was written all over his face. She didn't blame him, and even felt guilty, but Tsunade had no intention of letting Sakura go through that again. He would just have to find some noble woman or one of his Kunoichi fan girls to court and marry – he was being pestered by his council to settle down.

"He looks pissed," Shizune whispered in her Hokage's ear, her eyes glued to the suddenly stern face of Gaara.

Tsunade nodded her agreement, her eyes flickering momentarily to Neji and Sakura, who were now conversing with each other in an almost effortless manner in her peripherals. _That_ got her thinking, and plotting…

"Yes, he is a very angry former jinchuriki."

"How do you feel about being put on babysitting duty?" Ooniki asked the Hyuuga, ignoring the way Sakura was glaring daggers at him. "Wouldn't you prefer to be on the front lines? How were you chosen for this?"

Neji eyed the Kage politely. "I wasn't chosen: I volunteered."

–XXX–

**A/N: *Yawns* It's late, I'm tired, and this chapter is longer than I'd intended… not sure what that means for next time, but if you guys like this length, I'll try to stick to it from now on. ^_^  
And yes, this IS a NejiSaku – you didn't hit the wrong link to get here lol. The GaaSaku aspect I've decided upon with this fic isn't going to be anywhere near as intense as the NejiSaku part of it – interpret that whichever way you wish – but there's definitely room for some fun with the man hunk... Suggestions will be read, analysed and put into either a "that sounds like fun" or "no f*king way" pile. ;)**

**Love NejiSaku? Good, now review. n_n **


	3. Looking for Trouble

**Author's Notes:  
Early update! ^_^ Got all inspired and what not. Thank **IridescentInTheDark** for that. I'm intolerably and inexplicably happy right now, so enjoy. n_n **

–

**Fallen**  
Chapter Two: Looking for Trouble.

–

"_When fate hands you what you want on a silver platter, always check the use-by-date."_

–

It was raining the night before she was scheduled to leave the southern fire temple. Sakura Haruno was not fond of anything that was cold – ever since Sasuke had left her on a cold bench in the middle of the night. Seriously, what had he been thinking? If she hadn't been found, she'd have caught a cold, or worse. Well, that was what she told herself: it was a virus, not a by-product of severe cold or the rain. Still, it had been incredibly _rude_.

She pouted on that memory for a moment before remembering she wasn't alone – the presence outside her tent had been forgotten in her musings. She was certain he had heard every groan of exasperation, and every impatient scowl she'd made for the past half an hour. The sound of rain hitting the tarpaulin had lulled her into her musings and she snapped out of it, angry again.

Sakura packed what she could, glowering at every item – she carelessly shoved her belongings into the small backpack, not caring at that moment if they came out of the end of their journey damaged. She'd come to terms with the fact that she'd be passed around the Shinobi camps like some medical harlot – it was for the better of the alliance – but there was something she would _never_ tolerate.

She was okay with it at first, because she never knew how _annoying_ Neji Hyuuga could be. He was supposed to guard her, but the context of his orders seemed to be up for interpretation. They hadn't even left the southern fire temple yet, and he was already pissing her off. She was still acclimatising to having Neji so close to her – he wouldn't leave her side, even when she threatened him with physical violence and it was grating on her nerves. He ignored her complaints on this subject unless she was in her own tent, and was currently standing outside of said tent, like some stone gargoyle, seemingly harmless, but just waiting for the right moment to pounce. She didn't mind friends standing close to her, the occasional embrace (_often_ when it came to Naruto), but the Hyuuga was _constantly_ invading her personal space.

It was outside the normal requirements of ANBU guard – or S rank escort missions.

She wondered if Tsunade knew what a pain he was when he "volunteered" to be her escort, and then decided the Hokage had done this on purpose. It did have Tsunade written all over it – meddlesome with an "excuse".

Sakura sighed. Okay, so he hadn't needed to volunteer, and she should probably cut him some slack, but it was getting increasingly frustrating, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could put up with it.

As if this calm before the storm that was Sasuke Uchiha, wasn't already bad enough.

Despite the acceptance of the other Kages that they were a part of this war, they only reluctantly agreed to station forces within fire country – if only to cut off any possible attacks on their own villages before they could even leave the land of fire. Sakura had heard that Ooniki put up a fight over leadership rights in the individual settlements, sulking like a child when he was outvoted – of course, he'd wanted Iwa ninja to be in charge of more than their fair share of encampments. She didn't remember him being quite so out rightly rude during the fourth Shinobi war.

In the end, five encampments had been decided upon, each to be led by a Kage – or their chosen representative if they themselves weren't there. This had all happened before the evacuation of Konoha was complete, so Yamato (along with a team of builders) had had time to create structures to suit their purposes before Tsunade decided to pimp out her former apprentice.

Sakura self-consciously dressed for bed, one eye trained on the flap entrance to her tent the entire time, and was just about to turn out the kerosene lamp when a thought occurred to her. In her frustration over Neji's annoying insistence of watching over her _too_ closely, she hadn't stopped to think where _he_ would be sleeping. She debated the pros and cons in her head before making sure she was decently covered and striding over to the entrance to her tent.

"Neji," she whispered, lifting the flap as he turned to look at her. His eyes were now focused on hers, but she didn't miss the way they imperceptibly flickered over what she was wearing before settling. "We've got a long way to travel in the morning," she said. "Surely you're not going to stand outside my tent all night?"

Neji didn't seem concerned. "My place in the bunkhouse is taken now."

"You don't have your own tent?" She asked, surprised.

He shook his head. "Until today I was ANBU, so that would be a no."

'_Was?'_

She bit her bottom lip to keep from questioning him further. "Well, since no-one else has thought to put you up for the night, you should sleep in my tent."

He raised an elegant eyebrow at her offer and she scoffed, turning her face slightly to hide her blush. She really needed to stop flushing every time the idea of sex popped into her head.

"I'm not talking about in my _bed_," she said. "There's a divan in here you can use."

She wondered why someone had furnished her tent with such an unnecessary item, but just shrugged it off. The conspiracy nut in her immediately contemplated the "_kill Tsunade_" options she'd first thought of years ago for such a situation.

"Are you certain?"

"You've been invading my privacy all day," she waved away his concern. "This is just one more thing, but at least this time you have my permission."

Neji nodded his head, thanked her politely, and followed her lead as she re-entered her tent. He was uncertain now, and it showed. Sakura revelled in his discomfort, pretending he wasn't there and letting him stand uncomfortably near the entrance. After a few minutes of faking organising the last of the things she needed to pack, Sakura turned around to find that Neji still hadn't moved.

"It really _is_ alright," she said, sighing deeply.

Her voice seemed to break the ice that had him imprisoned, and he searched out the divan with his eyes before immediately moving over to it. Sakura waited for him to lie down, said "goodnight" and then turned out the lamp before getting comfortable herself. She stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before rolling her head to the side to look at her guard. There was a faint light outside the tent, as it was too dangerous to let the encampment fall into complete darkness, and Sakura could see (albeit indistinctly) that Neji was watching her.

"Face the other way," Sakura ordered, and after a moment's hesitation, the Hyuuga complied.

She sighed with relief and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself – it was easier than she'd thought. But after her breaths deepened, indicating she was fast asleep, Neji rolled back over and returned to watching her until he became too tired to keep his eyes own open.

–XXX–

The thick underbrush near the fire temple impeded even the most seasoned ninja. But Sakura had heard that the monks who used to inhabit these ruins could move through the terrain easier and faster than any Shinobi. They were friends to everyone, brothers to the people of the land of fire, and loyal to the daimyo. That was why the slaughter that had taken place here during the fourth Shinobi war had sparked the light of vengeance in everyone, leaf ninja or not.

That was how the manhunt to find and kill Tobi had led to the eyewitness reports of his clash with Sasuke.

Still, the idea that some of the monks might have survived, given their uncanny ability to come and go in this region, did not go ignored. Unfortunately, the ostracised Uchiha had been very thorough that night.

Sakura glanced back the way she'd come, her eyes lingering on the broken, yet still impressive structure, before following her guard as he motioned to her. After everything, it felt right that the Konoha ninja, forced to flee their home, took refuge in the temple, using it as a base – one of many for security reasons.

But she was leaving it behind – her first charge in Tsunade's decision to rotate her through the Kages was the Raikage's medics. Of all the great hidden villages, Kumogakure was the one most in need, but they would not be heading to the towering structure atop the mountain range. The hidden cloud encampment was within the borders of the land of fire. For this, Sakura was grateful – she didn't much like the idea of travelling all the way to the land of lightning anyway.

And A had anticipated that he would be moving troops out of his own land (even before it was finally decided at their summit), setting up a base camp not far from the Valley of the End.

Knowing what was awaiting her wasn't as bad as she'd imagined, Sakura decided she would look at this as just another way of expanding her cultural horizons (she hadn't _really_ had the opportunity to work alongside Shinobi from other villages during Madara's war). Glancing sideways at the Hyuuga next to her, she couldn't help but smile at the barely restrained look of frustration on his face. He was used to roughing it – as were they all – but moving through this southern region was harsh, even by Shinobi standards.

Neji never complained however, and yet his relief once they hit the open fields (despite the tactical disadvantage if they were to be attacked), was _very_ clear. They passed Konoha within the next two days (though it was still some distance off and she only knew it was there, without actually seeing it), and into woods more sparse than Sakura's wallet after shouting Naruto to ramen.

It was humid and wet here, and in their attempts to avoid the Sasuke clones, they hid their chakra as they travelled, which severely inhibited the speed.

And of course, Neji stayed next to Sakura the entire time. He only gave her privacy for washing up and what she was sure he was inwardly calling her "girlie needs". She complained every time he insisted he wouldn't peek when she took to shallow streams, only wearing her bindings, and having lost those arguments, she deliberately distanced herself from him when he needed his own privacy. He was turning out to be more complicated a personality than she'd have ever expected.

The first time Sakura had laid eyes on him she had found herself confused by both his abrupt manner and aloof expression. She was still infatuated with Sasuke Uchiha at that point, so she didn't spend any further time thinking about the strange man who had angered her blonde team mate. But despite the impositions, Neji had proven himself an integral part of her sanity over the past few days. When she slipped and almost fell face first into a bog, he caught her – not by the wrist, or elbow, but around her waist; her back to him, she felt him pull her into his chest.

He wouldn't let go until he was sure she'd found both of her feet and she found herself missing the warmth when he finally pulled away.

She could hardly confess to be in love with Neji Hyuuga, but there was _something_ there ‒ she just wasn't sure what it was yet. There were more important things going on, and once this war did actually reach the fronts her shishou was predicting, Sakura didn't want any distractions to her duties. So she kept it to herself, and hoped he hadn't noticed. Right now, he was far more busy scouting out the area with his Byakugan to look her directly in the face and contemplate the possibility she might be thinking about him.

A few more days brought them out of the greenery, and the Kumo ninja were very vocal about their relief. The Raikage was the only one of them that didn't seem concerned either way – Sakura imagined he'd be more capable of traversing unfamiliar (or just less familiar) terrain than his subordinates. His robust form probably helped.

"You'd think they were unused to the outdoors," Sakura whispered, knowing Neji had heard her.

He gave a soft chuckle but didn't comment. She smiled at that and forced herself not to turn and see if he was looking at her. This strange _neediness_ of hers was getting annoying. The next day was the last they would spend travelling. And as it too, came to an end, they had finally arrived at the northernmost fire temple.

–XXX–

Sunlight blinded her as she shifted awake; the thin curtains of her room did nothing to protect her from the harshness of the glaring sun. Sakura yawned, stretched, and then rolled away from the window. Her early morning daze left a quivering smile on her face. It had been a surprise, given what had happened to the southern fire temple, to find this one more or less intact. So she had a proper room, some decent form of a bath for her own personal use, and Neji's adjoining room meant that she could keep him at arm's length while knowing he was there if she needed him.

Her smile wavered.

'_Damn it.'_

What she _needed_ was a bath and a fresh perspective.

She gathered up her necessities, left her room, and made her way over to the small bathhouse, only to stop suddenly in front of the door. Neji had shunshined directly in front of her, and was looking annoyed. He didn't bother acting nonchalant about it.

"You should let me know when you're leaving your room," he stated.

"Look," she snapped, losing all her happy thoughts of a moment ago. "I'm not sure what Lady Tsunade said your _job_ here was, but let me just make three things clear here," she held up her hand and counted off on her fingers as she rattled off the reasons he should get out of her way: "I can handle myself, we're not in enemy territory, and I don't answer to _you_."

Neji lost his irritated look and now struggled not to smile. He knew all those things were true, but he was only following orders. He settled for raising his eyebrows at her, cocking his head to the side and just _staring_ at her, instead.

"ANBU-san," she growled out. "I am going to bathe now, and would like to do so _alone_."

If Neji was offended by her not-so-subtle reference to his subservience to her by using the term ANBU, he didn't show it. But he also didn't move out of her way. Sakura sighed heavily, threw the towel over her shoulder, and pointed her finger at his face.

"Keep those eyes of yours to yourself and stay out here."

Again, he didn't respond, just watching her placidly, and she gave a cry of frustration before pushing him aside, and stomping into the small bathhouse set up for her. It wasn't like an onsen, set up for one person rather than many, and Sakura hadn't really believed for a second that Neji would use his Byakugan to spy on her – that's not how it worked. As far as she'd learnt, all he could do was see her chakra. As she undressed, she mused over the scrolls Hinata had shown her the last time she'd visited the Hyuuga compound back in Konoha.

She specifically recalled that one time Hinata had admitted to trying (and failing) to spy on Naruto.

–XXX–

Neji knew women could take _forever_ to bathe, and he found himself wondering what could possibly be taking Sakura so long. It was a simple matter – clean, shave and shampoo – why did she have to take more than half an hour? He could admit to himself that he spent slightly more time than the average male when he had the chance, but that was only because he _really_ didn't want to cut his hair. Lee had wasted a great deal of "youthful" explanations as to why he should just chop it off, but that wasn't _him_.

Sakura's hair was short. It shouldn't take her _this_ long.

As they approached the forty-five minute mark, he contemplated checking if his Byakugan could see what was going on. He'd never _tried_ before, thinking that kind of behaviour beneath him, as well as knowing the most he'd see would be her chakra system, but at least he'd get _some_ idea of how much longer she intended to take.

He frowned, tapping his foot uncharacteristically and then inhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down. He would give her until the hour mark, then charge in there and…

_What _exactly?

Sakura was right when she said that she didn't have to answer to him, and he _had_ been deliberately pushing the boundaries of her temperament, but it didn't mean he was going to back off. He had his orders; on top of which was the fact that right from the moment he'd heard that Lady Tsunade wanted not only to send Sakura off on this mission, but have a Konoha Shinobi accompany her, Neji had _really_ wanted to be the one. So he'd volunteered, and even in those moments when the pinkette threatened his well-being if he didn't back off, he didn't regret it for a moment.

But his motivation was confusing, even to himself.

Also, Hiashi had been hounding him shortly before this assignment, so that was another reason to get away for a while. The Hyuuga clan was currently hidden in a temporary version of their Konoha compound, the non-active ninja in their ranks stuck together until further notice. His uncle wanted him back there, and had not approved of his decision to "babysit" Sakura.

Said Kunoichi startled him when she suddenly opened the door to the bathhouse. She didn't even look at him as she strode past, clearly still annoyed, but had some parting words. "I hope you intend on bathing yourself, sometime soon – you could _use_ it."

–XXX–

Neji seemed happier than Sakura had ever seen him: to the untrained eye, he seemed as indifferent as ever, tending to his duties as instructed by the Hokage and keeping an _annoying_ close eye on his charge. But she had known him for years – she had little to no personal info from him, but as a part of the Konoha Eleven, they'd spent a lot of time together (in a group – always in a group), and she'd know the "happy" version of him anywhere.

But she was too busy, once she started working, to worry about what had made him so happy. His nearness was the least of her problems right now (the frustration, the strange comfort… every confused thought these conflicting sensations brought on). None of the Kumo medics were at a level anywhere needed to run a place such as this, they only had five assisting nurses, and a pathetic excuse for an operating system: for example, the chemicals, medicines, and utensils were not all labelled properly. She spent the first few days just organising everything. Heaven help these Shinobi when this hospital was finally used as a triage – they were looking less and less like an actual medical core, and she seriously doubted she could do all of what was needed by herself.

One week on from her arrival at the base camp, Sakura had finally figured out a system that not only made sense, but also catered to the Kumo medic _touchy_ sense of propriety. They were friendly enough, and listened to her, but were reluctant to make changes – they made Neji look like a sensitive, privacy respecting citizen. And he wasn't, he _really_ wasn't.

Sakura was excited that she was only a few days from being able to leave – this proposed rotation through the other encampments was a little weird to speculate on, and even though she hadn't actually moved to the next place yet, she was beginning to look forward to it. The challenge was keeping thoughts of mutiny at bay, not to mention the violent urges when it came to Neji.

Speaking of which…

He disappeared an hour before lunchtime, and reappeared just as Sakura was getting hungry.

"And where have _you_ been?" She teased.

"Meditating," he said.

"Well anyway, you're just in time. Join me for an early lunch?"

He nodded and Sakura smiled. They had received their first inflow of patients the day before, and even though they weren't _really_ ready for it, she was proud of herself for handling it as well as she had. The clone armies of Sasuke's were more just a nuisance and, with her constant correspondence with Tsunade via the miniature versions of her slug summons Katsuyu, Sakura had learnt that Kakashi and Yamato had found a research lab. He was brewing something far more dangerous than these weird versions of clones – the lab had been abandoned in a rush, and all relevant data removed, but it was the presence of holding cells, the _smell_ of inhuman waste and left over body parts that led them to believe it was a very different kind of experiment.

There were traces of Sasuke's chakra – the real Sasuke – so the two of them were tracking him.

Sakura had voiced her concern, stating that neither of them were a match for him, but apparently, Naruto and a small contingent of mixed nation ninja were heading to meet up with them. The only problem was, that they had no idea where they were being led to. It sounded like a trap to her.

She _really_ wanted to join them, but her duty kept her in this godforsaken encampment. The only reasons she stayed were because of the stipulations of their agreement with the other Kages, as well as the fact that this place clearly _needed_ more attention from a medic who knew what they were doing. A day before her scheduled departure, another doctor had been organized to relieve her, but she held no illusion as to their skill level.

Sakura shook herself, having followed Neji to the mess tent, but realising she'd stopped at the entrance, lost in her thoughts. She ignored his curious glance and strode in, still debating whether or not she was really leaving this encampment in capable hands, when the time finally did come. She absentmindedly chose her rations and joined Neji at a small table, away from the rest of the noisy, hungry ninja.

"Sasuke was spotted near Tamagatsu," he said conversationally a few minutes later.

Sakura's head snapped up and she stared at the Hyuuga. Tamagatsu was a civilian town, a booming commerce village and perfectly located for one of the few decent fishing spots in its area. It was only left alone during the Shinobi war because of its neutrality. She doubted Sasuke cared about that now, or ever.

"The real Sasuke?" She whispered.

He nodded.

"How do you know that?"

Neji refused to meet her eyes as he ate – only once he was done did he deign to respond. "I overheard the regimental commander."

"You mean A?"

He looked up at her now. "No, the Raikage has left. It seems the Uchiha is more trouble than he thought, and his clone army is advancing on several key positions in this northern region. A is concerned Sasuke will target civilians to draw out ninja."

Sakura looked around the mess tent cautiously, but no-one was even looking at them besides a few _distant_, curious glances. "When did you _overhear_ this?"

"Shortly before lunch."

"I thought you said you were meditating?"

Neji smirked and Sakura couldn't help but smile back at him. He wouldn't tell her _exactly_ what he had been doing, and leant backwards instead.

"So," she drawled out. "Does Naruto know?"

Neji shrugged.

"What are we going to do?"

"What can we do?" He countered.

"Then why did you bother… oh never mind. Feel up to a trip?"

"To Tamagatsu? It's not exactly nearby."

"Not Tamagatsu," she said, leaning forward; he mirrored her movements. "Shomafu Town."

Neji worried seriously for her sanity. "What are you up to?"

She played with her chopsticks. "Don't tell me you're not itching for some action."

"Don't try goading me Sakura – it won't work," he said. "What about your duties here?"

She waved away his comment. "We'll be back – they can survive today or tomorrow without me."

And quite frankly, if they couldn't, they weren't going to fare very well when she _did_ leave for good.

Neji frowned. He wasn't happy about where this conversation was going. He wasn't on the frontlines because of his uncle, not some odd coincidence in the way Lady Tsunade arranged missions, and he _had_ been contemplating appealing to the Hokage about that before hearing about her plans for Sakura. But what the pinkette was suggesting was beyond reckless – it bordered on stupid. But she was looking at him with those doe eyes of hers and he decided if he didn't go with her, she would just end up leaving alone. It was his own fault, really.

"Okay," he said, and she clapped her hands together gleefully. "But if this goes sideways, we're blaming it all on you."

Sakura poked tongue at him and he gave her a wry smile. "Okay then, mister no-fun, let's." She stood up. "There's only one problem." Neji stood slowly, looking unsurprised at this. "And his name is Haru Takamashi."

"The head of security?"

"Uh-huh."

Despite the insistence of the Kages at the summit in the southern fire temple that she'd be her own boss, Sakura _did_ need permission to leave the encampment. She wasn't looking forward to asking Haru if she could check out Shomafu Town – it was as good a place as any to start her hunt. This felt reckless, like something Naruto would do, but she wanted to be a part of what was going on. Neji's Byakugan was good at detecting incoming chakra – despite his reservations about her plan he didn't try to stop her, even though they both knew that he was capable of restraining her.

Neji waited outside the medic tent as Sakura entered, looking for Haru. He had been put in charge of the security of the temporary settlement, but spent most of that authority keeping an eye on the medics and from the moment Sakura had first arrived, he argued with her over almost every _tiny_ thing. She found herself restraining from hitting him more times than she cared to admit, and it was only her diplomatic status that seemed to stop him from becoming a full blown pain in her arse.

But she didn't care what his problem with her was.

As she strode toward him, an ANBU stepped in front of her. She growled at the man and peered behind him. "I need to talk to you."

Haru didn't even bother to look at her. "Then talk."

"I need to go to Shomafu Town," she said through gritted teeth. She hated that _he_ of all people, was the one who had the right to allow people out of the encampment – next to the regimental commander, who was currently "held up". But she would even suffer through one of Sai's attempts at poetry reading to leave this place right now – even if only for a few hours. She just needed a good excuse.

The Kumo ANBU moved out of the way and Haru looked up at Sakura apathetically. "And _why_ do you want to visit the nearby village at a time like this?"

Sakura just frowned at the man. "We need supplies."

–XXX–

The bell tolled twelve times: it was midday. With the hustle and bustle of the small town's market, the pinkette was lost in the crowd. Her ANBU level guard was next to her the entire time, keeping her within grabbing distance, and for the first time for days, she was glad for it. Having discovered just prior to leaving the ninja encampment, that Naruto Uzumaki (leading a small group himself) wasn't far away, they decided to find him first.

Sakura knew she was rash, looking for leads on Sasuke in this somewhat random village, and Naruto's presence would help a lot. Besides, he was travelling with Hinata, and she was eager to tease them about their now _very_ public relationship – not to mention that Kakashi and Yamato weren't far away. She wondered too, where Sai was.

Neji brushed her hand, distracting her thoughts, and a moment later, she sensed the chakra he was trying to draw her attention to. Naruto was already here. She could sense him, a moment later Hinata, and then a dozen Jounin level Shinobi. The civilians were ignoring them, as they always did to Shinobi, but Sakura felt the sudden rise in tension. Everyone knew the fighting wasn't over, and the presence of ninja was unsettling them.

But ever the optimist, Naruto spotted Sakura and Neji, and immediately bounded over to them.

"Sakura-chan! Neji!" He hugged her and then waved to the Hyuuga as Hinata caught up with him. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Hi Sakura, Neji-niisan," Hinata bowed respectfully and they returned the sentiment.

"Sight-seeing," Sakura said jokingly. "Well, that and checking for medical supplies. You?"

Neji glanced at her, wondering why she was lying to her best friend. Hinata caught his eyes and he realised that they weren't just passing through. He moved toward her, and as the best friends continued to talk, his cousin brought him up to speed.

Naruto just grinned sheepishly. "Looking for teme, what else?"

"He's nearby then?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Probably."

"I thought you'd be able to track him like that," Sakura said, clicking her fingers.

Naruto poked his tongue at her. "Teme's using some kind of jutsu that masks his aura."

"Really?"

"It's confusing the hunter-nin too."

"But Kakashi Sensei, and Yamato‒"

"Are tracking him the old fashioned way, and since when do I have _that_ kind of patience?"

"Since you became a sage, Naruto."

He chuckled, but didn't rebuke her comment. "Okay, if you want to stay, then stay, but I don't want you in the fighting Sakura-chan. You know what I mean," he added quickly, as she moved to snap at him. "This is between me and him."

She snorted. "The many hundreds, if not thousands, gearing up for war would disagree with you."

"I'm talking about _this_ fight." Naruto looked around. "Where's your guard?"

"Um," she glanced around, not really taking in the crowds of festive people. "He was here a moment ago."

"Hinata's disappeared too," Naruto said, standing up. "We should look for them."

"Why would he up and leave like that?" She wondered out loud.

"You're safe with me, Sakura-chan," Naruto said. "It's Neji I'm worried about."

"Because he just disappeared?" She asked, frustrated. Back at the fire temple, she might not have been worried – perhaps a little grateful for some space – but here, it just annoyed her.

"Because he's going to have to deal with an angry Sakura," the blonde said teasingly.

"And you're not worried about Hinata?" She said grumpily.

"She's with Neji," Naruto said. "And I can sense her a mile away."

Sakura grinned at him and he blushed. "Okay, let's go find your _girlfriend_."

"Right!" Naruto spun around but stopped himself from moving another foot. He let out a growl and Sakura grabbed his shoulder.

"What is it?"

"A clone army," he snarled, and she pulled away as he started channelling the kyuubi's chakra.

"Naruto…"

It wasn't Sasuke: he was so sick of this – it was never Sasuke. He'd tracked down every rumour, every sighting, and _nothing_. It was always a clone army. The clones ignored the screams of the civilians, only cutting any in their path. He was ready to vent all his frustration on this lot. It was then that he sensed Hinata and Neji's return, but thankfully, Sakura didn't take the opportunity to scold either of them – that could wait. The group of mixed Shinobi he'd brought with him were approaching from the opposite side – the unspoken plan now was to flank them and box the clones in. There were more this time after all.

"Ready Sakura?" Naruto asked.

She nodded, channelling chakra to her fists. Neji stood several feet to her right, his Byakugan ready, while Hinata was near Naruto, doing the same. The blonde growled, letting his frustration out, screamed, and rushed forward to meet them head on.

They divided themselves evenly, more like a well-rehearsed dance than battle strategy, and Sakura found herself separated from Neji as she moved through them easily. The closest combatant to her was an Iwa ninja, but she knew exactly where the Hyuuga was – and presumably, he was keeping an eye on her as well.

One of the clones darted away from Neji and made a beeline straight for Sakura. She pulled out a kunai this time, shifting her stance again, ready to do the same to this one as the last ten. But this one stopped short of her, its eyes going to her face, travelling down her body, back up again, and then finally resting on her weapon. It was then that she realised he was carrying a sword, attached to his obi, and not brandishing kunai like the rest of them.

'_What the fuck?'_

Sakura gripped the hilt of her kunai tightly as she stared into his face, averting her gaze a moment later as he activated his Sharingan. There was no mistaking it now – this one was the real Sasuke.

**A/N: No, there's no SasuSaku in this story (one-sided or not): just felt that needed to be stated. And there will be GaaSaku again, eventually. Cheers! XD**


	4. On the Brink

**Author's Notes:  
It's taken me **_**ages**_** to get back into this. Busy, distracted and completely and utterly, brain dead. Enjoy. n_n **

–

**Fallen**  
Chapter Three: On the Brink.

–

"_Darkness comes in many forms, and closing our eyes to it makes us blind to its true purpose."_

–

He wasn't masterful at many things outside of being a ninja – he certainly didn't have enough experience to claim to be anything short of socially suicidal. But still, he thought himself capable of understanding at least, what someone meant when they talked about creating a "scene".

Sai hoped he did, at least.

He'd volunteered to accompany Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga, concerned about both of their safety; the blonde didn't need it, but was easily distracted, so Sai resolved to worry more over the Hyuuga than his own team mate. It wasn't out of some kind of personal revelation ‒ more of practicality. He had no intention of a re-enactment of that abysmal ambush outside of Konoha. Sasuke's clones were almost as stubborn as Naruto.

But back to the point, he was sure Naruto had just broken his own rule about not making a scene in public. Gone were the days when he'd thought that being loud mouthed and unpredictable were nothing to be ashamed of – now he merely touched on it when it suited his agenda.

Sai inwardly cringed at the way the blonde greeted their pink haired team mate, even though she wasn't supposed to be in this town, and hung back, not wanting to be a part of whatever "chit-chat" they had planned. His eyes raked over the surrounding area, standing on the roof of a nearby tavern. All he cared about right now was looking out for the clone army they knew was headed in this direction. True to form, Naruto "forgot" the mission and proceeded to talk up Sakura, not giving another thought to the imminent danger. Only when the pinkette realised her guard had all but vanished into the crowd did that ridiculous conversation finally come to an end.

And that was when he sensed it – multiple, incoming and powerful chakra signatures.

Sai signalled the group of mixed Shinobi that had been accompanying Naruto for weeks now, and they swarmed in on all fronts to box the clones in. Ignoring the growing level of Karuma's chakra in the air around him, the ex-Root member merely stood still, keeping his eyes open as the Shinobi below fought. The civilians had scattered the moment the fighting started, fortunately, but he couldn't worry about that now. His main position on Naruto's quest to find the real Sasuke was aerial support. His blonde team mate fought on the ground best, when faced with this type of army, so Sai created ink birds and would keep an eye on them, attacking the enemy from above.

Right now however, he was getting a strange feeling about the formation these clones had taken – it was more organised, and unlike their previous, straightforward attacks. There was definitely something different about this attack.

His eyes raked the crowd of poor imitations of Sasuke Uchiha until he spotted one that stood out – in all the confusion down there, he wasn't surprised Naruto had yet to notice. From a higher position, Sai was able to spot the differences in his body language, not to mention his choice of weapon. Shouting out to Naruto, Sai created several clones, an ink cat the size of a small house, and charged in.

The Sasuke he had his eyes on darted away, like he'd just noticed someone, and Sai's eyes widened as the last Uchiha attacked Sakura.

He couldn't get closer, forced to fight the clones – they were beginning to bunch up, protecting the small area that Sakura Haruno was fighting in, and in a blur of blue, black, and red, Sai lost sight of his team mate.

Sakura felt lost as she continued to avoid that Sharingan. She hadn't quite mastered the art of fighting this particular kekkei genkai, remembering at least that Gai had said something about watching his feet. But no matter what she did, Sasuke countered her attack easily. He wasn't going for the kill, surprisingly, but had her backing up and bleeding. She struggled to find an even footing, something to base an attack from, rather than just fighting solely on the defence.

Sasuke was toying with her – it was the only possibility.

His sword swung low and wide; she had barely a moment's warning, pivoting, and avoiding the bulk of his attack. The edge of the sword however, grazed her arm and she groaned, looking up automatically at the light chuckled from her opponent.

"You're as pathetic as ever, Sakura." He didn't give her time to retort, jumping on her, his left hand pinning hers, his weapon to the side. Sasuke slammed her against the nearest building and snarled in her face: "And I'm going to make you pay."

She couldn't help the tears that fell as she gasped, struggling to breathe.

"Still so weak," he said evenly. He unsheathed his Kusanagi again, pressing the point against her bare skin, just under the lowest, elastic bone of her ribcage. She cried as it pierced her skin.

"P-please…" She leant into the edge of the Kusanagi, barely able to hear him and wishing her body had the good sense to go numb from the pain (it _should_ have, considering he'd just hit a cluster of nerve endings).

"No," he said huskily. "Not yet – you're going to suffer first, like I did."

Sakura had no idea what he was talking about. "Wha‒"

"I'm going to kill everyone you care about, Sakura," he promised. "Everyone you love, everyone who loves you, and then, if you beg me again, I'll let you die too." He smirked, tugging at the ends of her hair distractedly. "Starting with that annoying blonde."

"No."

"Her blood," Sasuke said, giving a violent, final tug of her hair before pulling his sword away, "is on _your_ hands."

_Her _blood? Sakura closed her eyes as he released her. _'Ino.'_

"Hinata!"

Sakura snapped her head up, realising she hadn't noticed Sasuke move away from her, now lost in a sea of his own clones. She looked up, clutching her abdomen as she attempted to heal the wound, and tried to steady herself. What clones were left parted and she was treated to the unencumbered view of Naruto standing defensively in front of Hinata, who was on her knees; the blonde had finally noticed that the real Sasuke was here, and their ex-team mate was staring him down.

"Stay away from her," Naruto snarled, and Sasuke laughed.

"I don't think so."

Neji appeared next to Sakura. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, watching as Naruto charged Sasuke. "The baka is just playing into Sasuke's hands."

"All he cares about is protecting the person he loves," Sai said, dropping down out of thin air, next to the pinkette. "Are you wounded?"

"I'll be fine," she said, glancing at him. "Someone needs to stop Naruto."

Sakura saw the blur of Sasuke's movement in the corner of her eye – his sword out and his Sharingan blazing. He was sidestepping Naruto, swinging low and wide as he attempted to move toward Hinata. The Hyuuga had to be his target, considering what he'd said to Sakura. The pinkette was finished healing her stomach, so she darted forward before either Neji or Sai could stop her and pulled her to her feet.

"Can you walk?"

Hinata nodded, shaking slightly. "Y-yes."

Sakura looked backward as she gripped Hinata's hand, lifting her to her feet and moved to leave the area. Neji and Sai were now thinning out the last of the clones, with the mixed nation Shinobi. She searched Hinata with her chakra, finding several broken ribs, a punctured lung and torn ligaments in her abdomen.

'_What the hell did Sasuke do to her?'_

Th Hyuuga couldn't stand any longer, so she slid to the ground and closed her eyes, trusting her companion implicitly to keep an eye on the battle as she struggled not to pass out. When Sasuke had redirected his attention on her she'd felt a surge of power, like ice, run through her. Uchiha were affiliated with fire even more so than ordinary leaf ninja, so she hadn't been expecting something quite so cold. Whatever jutsu he'd used had shot straight through her body in an instant and she felt like she frozen and on fire at the same time.

And she could feel the same cold right now, pooling wantonly into her body.

Hinata concentrated, lifted her hands, ignored Sakura's gasps and let her Shugohakke Rokujuyon Sho surge from her body. She wasn't at full strength, but she managed to direct it out, like a chakra burst at the incoming attacker.

"Hinata! Sakura!"

Sakura was brought out of her shock at the sound of Naruto's voice. Her socially awkward team mate was the one that reached her first however, swinging what looked like a large sword made out of ink; Sasuke easily avoided the blow, but fell straight into the path of Hinata's jutsu. She'd created it herself, the last Uchiha didn't know about it, and he'd underestimated her.

Sasuke gave her a heated glare before disappearing completely, his chakra signature vanishing.

A sense of sadness descended on her and Sakura let Hinata go as Neji and Sai returned.

"What did he say to you?" Hinata asked, looking up at the pinkette.

"It doesn't matter." _'For now.' _"What the hell was Naruto doing letting Sasuke goad him like that?"

Hinata chuckled. "That's Naruto, Sakura."

"Hm."

The pinkette finished healing the Hyuuga; a flash of yellow preceded the low toned growl of her stupid friend. She swayed slightly; Sai ducked down to help Sakura to her feet and a moment later, Neji moved to her other side.

"Let me," he said evenly, and Sai allowed him to pick her up, lifting Sakura up, bridal style.

Sai tended to Hinata and Sakura murmured softly, feeling Neji pull her tighter to his chest. In the distance, Naruto was cursing like a maniac, but the world was darkening too quickly. Night time couldn't come fast enough.

–XXX–

Haru Takamashi was a pain in the arse. And Kakashi Hatake had a special way to deal with people who truly pissed him off. The head of security at the Kumogakure encampment had the gall to suggest that Sakura be placed under arrest and wouldn't back down when the copy ninja glared at him. His intimidation factor was high – this was something he'd perfected after watching how it seemed to make Yamato pull Naruto in line without actually saying anything.

But this man was completely immune to it.

That was when Kakashi did what he did best when it came to his favourite medic: he threatened the man's life.

'_Job well done.'_

He prided himself on his ability to follow through on each and every threat, and his reputation preceded him after all.

Happier than he'd been in weeks, he left the medical tent and a shaking Haru in his wake, before hoofing it to Sakura's accommodations, like she'd told him to. He wasn't as comfortable about taking up temporary residence in the northernmost fire temple as the Kumo ninja were – they didn't understand fire country culture or tradition after all. If even some of the monks were still around and had given them their permission to be here, it wouldn't be unnerving – or at least different.

Kakashi and Yamato had come into Sasuke's "party" late, having been chasing a dead-end trail. He was just as frustrated as Naruto by the run around Sasuke was giving them, but what else could they do? Other teams were out looking through the places they knew Orochimaru had once inhabited, not to mention some of the known former Akatsuki bases. There was never a trace of Sasuke, unless the rogue ninja wanted to be found.

Supressing a shudder, he knocked on the door to Sakura's quarters and entered at the sound of her voice.

"You're late."

"Of course," Naruto piped up, before the copy ninja could come up with an appropriate excuse. "He wouldn't be Kakashi-Sensei if he wasn't."

Kakashi just chuckled sheepishly.

Sai and Yamato stood to attention at his arrival – Kakashi noted that there were no _Hyuuga_ in the vicinity. It was just Team Kakashi. They hadn't had the chance to be in the same room like this for months.

"We were just discussing Sasuke," Yamato told him. "And it seems Naruto isn't the only one he's promised to torment."

"Naruto?" Sakura asked, startled. "He said the same thing to you?"

Naruto nodded. "He wants to kill Hinata-chan in front of me." He frowned. "He's gone mad – there's no other explanation. Like I'd ever let that happen." He snorted, balling his fists.

"He told you her blood was on your hands," Sakura said softly. It wasn't a question. But as Naruto nodded anyway, she continued. "He said he wants to make you suffer, by killing everyone you care about…"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "Last week, I found a clone out in the middle of nowhere, by itself, and it said the real Sasuke was getting recompense."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think he meant _all_ of us," he said, lowering his eyes as Sakura glared at him.

"To be fair," Yamato added. "Sasuke hasn't seemed to care about killing anyone but Naruto in the past – within his former leaf team anyway."

"It makes sense I guess." Sakura sighed. "Just, no more holding back – I want to know everything that's happening, okay?"

They nodded silently, glad the pinkette wasn't in a pummelling mood. She was too drained to bother, emotionally speaking. Sakura had no compulsion right now to do anything. She sat down on her makeshift bed, her thoughts going to Ino, to her growing feelings for Neji… and was at least glad that Sasuke didn't know about the latter. She needed to keep it that way.

"Who did he threaten Sakura?"

She looked up, startled out of her musings by Kakashi's contemplative voice. Sai was quiet, which wasn't a reason to worry, but concerned her nonetheless.

"Ino." She fingered the edge of her still dirtied tight dark green shorts. "He said he was going to kill 'that annoying blonde' and then said 'her' blood was on my hands."

Sakura fisted her palm tightly and then released it, staring at her blemished skin; both her own blood and Hinata's marred her fair tone.

"Where is she right now?" Kakashi asked.

"With her father," the pinkette said. "Inoichi-san has been overseeing some special training with her ‒ Lady Tsunade will be able to tell you more."

"Sakura," he said, gripping her shoulder. "She'll be fine."

Sakura nodded her head but didn't say anything. Inoichi's location was well hidden, but she doubted Sasuke would give up that easily. The truth was that her friend's father was paranoid enough to make the interrogation site impossible to find without his direct permission for entry. She didn't have anything to worry about, but… she couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't enough. The work he was doing was high level stuff, and only Inoichi, Ibiki, a handful of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force, as well as the Hokage knew _exactly_ what he was getting up to.

'_And Ino, if she really is there.'_

Sakura sighed, trying to shake off her bad feeling as her former team mates gave her varying degrees of pitying or "understanding" looks. She glanced around her room – she'd invited them in, ordered Neji out, and the latter was currently off with his cousin. It took a lot to get him to leave her be, but Sakura still had a bone to pick with him. He'd left her side back in that village, and he had some explaining to do.

What she wanted to do was head over there and demand an answer right now. The conversation around her drifted back to Sasuke's promise. It seemed Sai wasn't completely understanding the Uchiha's motives.

Sai frowned at her, tugging on her arm gently to get her attention, much like a child would. "So… the traitor wants to kill people precious to you as well?"

Sakura nodded.

"Am I safe?"

Sakura nodded again. But she couldn't stop the small smirk gracing her features.

"She's kidding," Kakashi said. "You are very precious to her Sai."

Sai thought about that, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Please remove your affections for me ugly."

Sakura's eyebrows twitched and she clenched her fists, debating which part of Sai's face needed the most rearranging. The former Root member attempted to smile, and cocked his head to the side.

"That was _kidding_, right?"

He suddenly wasn't sure he'd gotten that right. But Sakura lost all her anger in that instant, realising he'd been attempting to make light of the situation. Sai didn't get scared – not really – even against someone like Sasuke, who terrified even the most battle hardened Shinobi.

Sakura ran at him, embracing her friend as he patted her back genially.

"Thank-you Sai," she whispered, and a moment later, the tears came.

Sai sighed deeply. "You're making me wet Sakura."

She pulled away immediately, a horror stricken look on her face at his words.

Kakashi chuckled. "And they say _I'm_ dirty minded."

Sai was worried about their sanity. "I was talking about her tears."

Kakashi patted his shoulder, still chuckling. "Of course you were."

"And for the record Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto chimed in. "You _are_ dirty minded… pervert."

–XXX–

Kakashi and Yamato left the next day, mumbling something about meeting up with some contingent. Sakura didn't get the details of course. Naruto was arguing with the Raikage off somewhere when lunch rolled around and Hinata admitted to Sakura that they would be leaving again soon too. Sai felt like a third wheel with those two apparently, and had put in a request to re-join the ANBU units that were rotating guard duty on the domiciles set up for the leaf clan members throughout the land of fire. Apparently, some of those groups were heavy in ex-Root members and he wanted to find out for himself.

"Don't get yourself killed," Sai told his pink haired friend before placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. He hadn't done that since shortly before the order to evacuate Konoha.

She blushed. "You too Sai."

He gave a smile that made her want to smack it right off his face and left.

"Must be nice," Neji said an hour later, after Hinata and Naruto finally left the Kumogakure encampment.

"What must be?"

He avoided her gaze, realising he'd spoken out loud. "Nothing."

She smirked. "It's alright to say you miss your team Neji-kun."

"It's not them."

"The other Hyuuga?"

Neji stopped walking suddenly. They'd been heading away from the Raikage's quarters – it was more like a wing of the Hyuuga compound he'd grown up in. Neji was wary of the man, and not just because of his rambunctious behaviour. He'd just given them permission to take the next two days easy, as it was almost time to leave and the medical staff here were finally getting that they needed to change their rigid ways if they wanted to improve.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, when he didn't respond. "Neji-kun?"

"I need to meditate."

And with that he was gone, using Shunshin to escape her; she realised she had yet to chew him out for up and disappearing on her in that village.

Sakura sighed, and decided she would spend her last two days in this place brushing up on what she knew was waiting for her in the Kiri camp.

–XXX–

"I don't like surprises."

"That isn't surprising."

Neji gave her an unimpressed look before returning to his mediation. So she couldn't sneak up on him when he was like this; his Byakugan activated, even when he was deep in this weird variation he'd created, Neji heard and saw everything around him. And what was his reasoning for employing it, knowing she was looking for him? He didn't like surprises.

Sakura snorted softly and sat down next to him, not asking for permission. She had just spent the past hour looking for his evasive arse, and the least he could do was give her his attention. They were leaving for the Kirigakure camp in the morning, and for the past two days, since that incident in Shomafu Town, he'd been avoiding her unless otherwise necessary, and she hadn't even done anything wrong.

That she knew of.

"Seriously," she said. "How do you do that?"

There was so much serenity in him right now – it was all over his face, despite her interruption. But he didn't respond, and she just sat there, staring at him. She studied his face, the masculine yet well-bred profile; her eyes lingered on his lips before moving back up at his eyes and remembering he still had his kekkei genkai activated. He could see what she was doing.

Sakura let out an impatient sigh and attempted to meditate herself. But her thoughts lingered on the man next to her, the warmth of him, despite being half a foot away from her and the chill in the air. She hadn't just tracked him down to annoy him – that was always fun – she was bored, and needed to vent. But despite her frustration at his recent avoidance, she was still content to wait for him to finish.

He was a pain in the arse to find when he wanted to avoid her.

She'd asked everyone who might've seen him where he might be, but funnily enough, once she stopped asking random, passing ninja if they'd seen him, she actually made some head way. Remembering that Neji had spoken on the topic of meditation more than once, she guessed he would be somewhere where the sounds of the camp wouldn't disturb him. There was a pond (like the pool at the base of a waterfall) not five minutes from the edge of a park-like area and close to a natural arboretum. It was the most peaceful place she could think of.

The temple was more extensive than she'd realised.

The upturned tree stump she was now sitting on, in front of said pool, was far more comfortable than it looked, and once she stopped being frustrated at the silent Hyuuga next to her, she started to enjoy the quiet.

Sakura's concentration didn't last long, as the sun was setting and a soft light replaced its luminescence, her eyes snapped open. The surface of the pool was alive with small balls of light. She stood up, ignoring Neji, who had also slipped out of his meditation at the sight, and crouched down in front of the water, tracing the water's edge with her finger.

"Fireflies," she muttered under her breath.

Her ever present guard heard her however, and Neji inhaled sharply at the sight of the fireflies – skimming over the surface of the large pond, they reminded him of home. The Hyuuga compound was a breeding ground for such insects. Fireflies glowed to attract mates, communicate or as a warning to predators to stay away. Neji had heard the old clanswomen back home talk how fireflies tasted disgusting; courtesy of the chemical lucibufagens.

"Sakura," he said softly, coming up behind her. "Let's head back, give them some privacy."

"Huh?"

He didn't want to say he knew full well, mostly due to Hanabi's weird obsessions with these insects, that it was indeed their mating season.

"Come here," she said, patting the grass next to her as she sat down.

Neji groaned, but did as he was told. He didn't want to be here anymore.

"You've been ignoring me," she said.

"Hn."

"Don't say that."

He kept quiet.

Sakura sighed, and then winced, rolling her head gingerly. She'd been up for almost the entire past twenty-four hours, going over everything she knew about Kirigakure medicinal techniques, but hadn't noticed the crick in her neck until now. She jumped slightly at the gentle fingers that found their way to her bare neck. Neji shifted next to her, rising to his knees and turning Sakura around; his hands continued kneading and she closed her eyes, just enjoying herself. She leant backward against him and he found himself far more excited the closer she inched to him.

He activated his Byakugan, searching out her pressure points, where she was blocked, and despite his inner and sudden _need_, calmly continued to massage her. He was just contemplating going a little further when Sakura moaned softly, before she could stop herself. That was not the kind of moan he'd have expected… it was husky, slightly needy and very _arousing_. Neji's hands froze in place and he deactivated his Byakugan, startled.

"Sakura?"

Flushing with shame, she stiffened under his hands. "Hm."

Neji's grip was gentle but firm as he turned her head. "Look at me."

She barely registered his soft, lavender eyes before they were closing and the warmth of his body pressed against her. His kiss was gentle, testing, and chaste. He gave her the opportunity to either pull away or deepen the kiss and she did the latter. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck, opened her mouth to him, and moaned again. The deep reverberation elicited a primal reaction out of the male and with vigour Sakura had never seen him utilize, Neji lifted her up and pulled her onto his lap.

He was sitting backward on his haunches, his hands now wandering over her delicious body, and Neji emitted his own lustful moan. Sakura straddled the Hyuuga, but kept her arms around his neck. This was far from unfamiliar territory for her, but she felt like an inexperienced preteen; his hands brushed skin, making her shiver.

Sakura continued to ravage his mouth, now running her fingers through his long hair, slipping the tie out and letting his brown tresses fall to frame his face; it enveloped them both. She had no idea how much time had passed, but on the fifth murmur of her name from his lips, her mind started to clear, pulling her thoughts out of the blank void that wouldn't let her escape her hormones. It had started with the massage, and was slowly ending as she finally ran out of steam.

And as her mind came back to her, Sasuke's face swam in front of her, his promise goaded her, and she pulled away from Neji sharply, inhaling deeply. God, Sasuke! He was already after Hinata and Ino. Bile rose up in her throat as she realised how selfish she was being. She would not do that to Neji. Sakura pushed at the startled Hyuuga.

"I can't do this," she whispered breathlessly. "I'm sorry, I can't."

She left quickly, forgetting to straighten her clothes as she fled the scene, leaving a stunned Hyuuga in her wake.

–XXX–

He didn't remember the pain. A deep gash on his side told him that someone had gotten a lucky hit in, but he couldn't place the face of his attacker. When was the last time he'd been in a battle? Sasuke groaned, falling into the side of a cliff-face; where one might have expected him to slam into rock and moss, he merely passed through the illusion and into the hidden grotto behind it.

He had no earthly possessions other than the few clothes he still wore from his time with Taka and the Akatsuki – nothing had the Uchiha symbol on it either.

Stumbling about in near darkness, it took him a few minutes to remember to light the torches that lined his hideout. It brought an unwelcomed warmth, and he growled, pressing on; bare hallway after bare hallway greeted him, seemingly unending. But he knew where he was going. He found the small room he'd set up, casting a longing glance at the single bed before resigning himself to dealing with his wounds first. He didn't understand where they'd come from.

He rummaged through his first aid kit. He cleaned, disinfected, and bandaged his now bare torso, grimacing the entire time. Sasuke rolled the bandage tentatively, feeling like a Genin who was experiencing battlefield triage all over again. It wasn't supposed to be like this – he was supposed to get his revenge, revive his clan and never have to worry about having to look over his shoulder ever again.

He let out an involuntary groan at the thought, then a longwinded version at the appearance of his "house guest".

"You'll get them next time," the man said but Sasuke didn't respond. "What's the matter?"

"You told me she was weak, that the Hyuuga needed Naruto to protect her."

"We all make mistakes Sasuke-kun."

The Uchiha growled, Sharingan blaring as he glared at the masked man. "And yours could have cost me my life."

The strange man just laughed. "Don't get your boxers in a bunch; they were never going to kill _you_. I told you, that's their weakness; they still love you."

"Hn."

"Do you think they can save you?"

Sasuke shook his head, returning to his wound.

"Really? I'd have thought the Kyuubi container would welcome your appearance with open arms."

"Shut up."

"You know it's true."

Sasuke groaned, climbing into the bed but didn't lie down. The idiotic masked man wouldn't let him rest for long anyway.

"They don't know you like I do," his guest whispered. "They can't see into your mind, feel your pain, or understand what you've been through."

Sasuke sighed, turning away from him. "They will soon enough."

The masked man cackled, prompting the appearance of several of Sasuke's clones. He glanced at them. "Those puny things can't harm me Sasuke, you know that."

He was grinning under the mask, the Uchiha was sure of it. He growled. "What do you want? Why do you keep bothering me?"

"I'm here to make sure you keep your promise to me; we've had our differences, tried to kill each other and for what? Konoha still stands; in fact, allying with other nations has strengthened it."

"Your point?"

The man cackled. "Just tell me how you intend on tracking your target; she's well hidden, even to you."

Sasuke remembered Ino Yamanaka's father was some kind of mind reading jutsu genius. So it was a sound theory that he'd be at one of the interrogation sites, but knowing this was getting him nowhere. He'd learnt through his clones that the youngest Yamanaka was with her father, but he couldn't trace either of them.

Sasuke glared at the mask man, unsure how to respond. A subtle shift in stance from one of his clones gave him an idea. Those idiots were trying to track and capture him, but on more than one occasion, they'd attempted to immobilize one of his off-shoots, causing the automatons to self-destruct.

Sasuke smiled. "I think it's about time I let Kakashi-_Sensei_ catch his prey."

–XXX–

**A/N: Confused? Not me. I know EXACTLY what's going on. ;P  
This chapter was a little shorter than I'd hoped for, but next time should make up for it: Gaara… uh, lotsa Gaara… uh, more Gaara… and lotsa jealousy. ;P Cheers! XD**


	5. In Formation

**Yep, I changed the genre. And now on to more important things...**

–

**Fallen**  
Chapter Four: In Formation.

–

"_Falling in love was the easy part; fanning the flames was going to be the problem."_

–

This was getting ridiculous; even an idiot keeping on the move stopped once in a while, settled down, and dug their heels in, _deep_. Sakura was sick of the silence, as she and Neji were travelling alone, and they hadn't said a word to each other since leaving the Kumogakure encampment. They hadn't even stopped to rest. He was angry with her, she could tell, though he hadn't done or said anything to show it. She had her reasons, but he didn't know that; keeping Neji at arm's length sounded like a chore she didn't want, since he was her guard and they'd be forced to converse eventually.

Sakura didn't want him to hate her.

And to make matters worse, their destination was going to test her finite temperament. Mei Terumi, the Mizukage of Kirigakure, had eyed off Neji throughout that meeting where Tsunade had handed Sakura on a silver platter to the other Kages. She wasn't some slut, this Sakura knew from the times she'd spoken with her (not to mention her shishou liked her, very much), but she had had her eyes on the Hyuuga prodigy from the moment he'd removed his ANBU mask.

Sakura had brought it on herself, pulling away from him like that, but she honestly had no idea what to do about it. But she had her mission to fall back on, and resigned herself to the fact that she would be spending a lot of time in the medic tent-or whatever they had set up, since the Kiri camp apparently, was better organised than the others, medically speaking. The only good thing was that it would only be seven days.

'_Only.'_

That was a dangerous word.

Sakura glanced momentarily at the back of her guard-leading the charge, so to speak, Neji had stayed in front of her at all times. Anyone who didn't know any better would have expected them to have come under attack more often than not, considering things. They were careful however; that Byakugan came in handy. Sakura was grateful for that. She did not want a repeat of what happened in that village with Sasuke. She needed to stay on task and leave him to Naruto.

'_That's a switch.'_

It had knocked some sense into her-what would she have done if Naruto hadn't turned up? No, her place right now, was with Neji.

Sakura tilted her head away from him however, realising her eyes had drifted to him again. She couldn't stare continuously-that all seeing Hyuuga, Byakugan or not, would _know_. But the opportunity to say something, _anything_, had passed her by, and Sakura resigned herself to the silence. Neji started slowing down, and she matched his pace; they dropped from their treetop sprint and without looking at his pink haired charge, he led the rest of the way on foot. It was only a few minutes before the thicket broke away and Sakura almost stopped dead at the sight of the Kirigakure camp. It had been set up around a water source-the waterfall in the background towered over the area, dwarfing the smaller one that had been in the temple doubling as the Kumogakure settlement. But instead of doubling as a landmark for the enemy to easily zero in on them, it was fringed with vegetation (from shrubbery to tall standing trees). The camouflage was further assisted by the genjutsu surrounding it.

Sakura only knew it was there because they'd been told about it, and she wondered for a fleeting moment, if it would even fool Sasuke's Sharingan.

Silently, she followed Neji and passed him when he stopped at the gates-she was the dignitary, and he was the bodyguard, so officially, he couldn't announce their arrival. Sakura did as her shishou had taught her, introduced herself, her companion, and refrained from punching the guard who had greeted them, when he gave her the once over. The Mizukage appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and welcomed the medic formally. Then her line of sight shifted.

Sakura clenched her fists, repeating the mantra "stay calm" over and over again, in her head to keep her from saying or doing something as Mei batted her eyelashes at Neji, greeting him warmly. The Mizukage wasn't a horrible person-she got along with her as much as Tsunade died-but she was teetering on ridiculous. Sure, a lesser guy would be falling at her feet right about now (and Sakura had a thing for men who didn't give into the charms of flamboyant women), but Neji was still _male_. She could see that he knew what the Mizukage was doing-what bugged her was that he said and did nothing about it. She wasn't expecting him to tell her off, just politely decline, in that deeply diplomatic voice of his.

Sakura sighed. "Lady Mizukage, would you be so kind as to have someone direct me to my temporary quarters?"

"Oh of course Sakura-san," Mei said, turning back to her. She waved to a nearby guard and the man fetched an attendant. "Chika-san is a very good attendant; she'll take care of you, while I debrief your bodyguard."

Sakura stiffened slightly, but let that go as the blonde girl in question curtsied to her. She had to be a civilian, which didn't explain the attendant title. Left with no alternative, the pinkette followed her escort, glancing toward her Hyuuga bodyguard despite her better judgement.

Neji watched her go, keeping the Mizukage in his peripherals, wary of the promiscuous woman. He wasn't angry at Sakura, not really, but his confusion overrode his pride and he didn't want to face her right now. Why had she pulled away from him? Nothing she'd said, or done since, made any sense. When she'd kissed him back, in front of the firefly pond, he'd assumed she was responding to him, not just the heat of the moment. He'd like to think so.

"So, Neji-kun," Mei's voice interrupted. "How about we head to my tent and I fill you in on the security arrangements for our little _getaway_?"

He _really_ didn't want to, given what the woman was clearly thinking of doing instead of business, but she was already locking arms with him and teleporting him away. Neji was a respectful, patient, and tactful person... but this was going to get old fast.

–XXX–

A few hours had passed before Sakura had gotten time to herself; immediately upon getting her belongings settled into the room she'd been assigned to, that... _girl_ ...Chika, had pestered and insisted until Sakura relented, and went straight to work. The medical tent was as well provisioned as the Mizukage had promised her. There were holes of course, as she'd expected, but this was the best place by far, and Sakura became restless, mentally going over all the possible excuses she could come up with to earn an early escape from this place. When she finally got back to her room, Neji still hadn't turned up. She was beginning to worry; that lascivious look on Mei's face before Sakura was escorted away had the pinkette's stomach churning.

What was the chance that a Kage would just come on to a visiting, foreign Shinobi? She tried to remember any time something like that had happened in her previous dealings with the other Kages, and her mind went straight to Gaara. He hadn't realised he was doing it at first, considering he wasn't some amorous player, like _some_ people, and neither had she. Sakura had started spending time with him during the war with the Akatsuki, when he was in Konoha, or they were both in the same area-regardless of which battlement. Naruto was the one who'd pointed it out, funnily enough, and once the surprise wore off, and instead of being disappointed or annoyed with herself, she'd embraced it.

Gaara was not the inexperienced and emotionless icicle people made him out to be.

Sakura sighed, looking down at her hands as she realised, that in her musings, she'd stopped pacing. And right now, she was terrified. She trusted Neji wasn't easy, but the whole situation scared her nonetheless. She thought she'd put her feelings for him in their proper context-what they were, how they were or weren't appropriate, and what to do about it.

She needed to ignore them.

She _needed_ to get her head examined.

Sakura let out a loud groan and threw herself onto the bed, closing her eyes. She was so pathetic.

The next thought drifted away as quickly as she did, and before she knew it, she was being woken by the approach of familiar chakra. Sakura rolled onto her back (she'd been on her stomach, her arm hanging over the side of the bed) and turned her head toward the door without sitting up. He was there now, outside, and she couldn't bring herself to go out there, or let him know she was awake. Neji didn't open the door or knock anyway, and she was reminded of that night before they'd first set out on this r merry-go-round ride she was having with the Kage supervised settlements, when she'd ordered him to bunk with her.

Sakura looked around but couldn't see anything remotely reminiscent of a divan in her new quarters. It begged a lot of questions, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to ask them. Her eyes went back to the door and she rolled onto her side to stare at it. What was he doing standing out there? She felt like the wall separating them was like a reredos, and she was the one with the confession to make. She found it difficult to believe Neji had done anything he needed forgiveness for.

Eventually, Sakura's eyelids became too heavy again, and she closed them; there was no time to fall asleep as she became aware of a wet, slimy feeling on her open palm. She recoiled, startled, before realising something was slithering over her.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Sakura."

Sakura let out a startled groan, and gawked at the miniature version of Katsuyu, Tsunade's slug summons. "Holy shit," she whispered. "How did you get in here without me sensing you?"

The slug shuddered. "With great skill."

Sakura sighed, now forcing a smile onto her face. "I suppose it's okay. What's up?"

"Lady Tsunade needs to speak with you, urgently."

Sakura glanced back at the door to her room, mentally picturing Neji-he hadn't announced himself, perhaps in a show of stubbornness, but she knew him well enough to know he was definitely eavesdropping. He wasn't going to acknowledge her directly right now, and she needed to see what her shishou wanted. She nodded to the slug. "I didn't know shishou was in this encampment."

"She was, but no Sakura, she is not now."

Sakura frowned at her. "Then how did you get into this encampment?"

"My lady left me behind for your arrival."

"Huh?"

"I'm afraid you don't understand," Katsuyu said. "You must leave this camp with your guard, _now_."

Through the door, Neji stiffened; Sakura frowned at the miniature version of her shishou's summons. "Why?"

"Because you're needed at the Suna settlement," the slug said. "They are about to come under attack."

–XXX–

The stench they'd expected was one of dust, dirt, and grime. Small villages and towns that had been evacuated tended to have a specific smell to them-Kakashi would categorise it vaguely as the smell of abandonment. Half eaten dinners, strewn furniture and front doors left open indicated that _this_ place had been cleared out in a hurry. This was the third village they'd found, in the last twenty-four hours, that hadn't been evacuated in an orderly fashion. He had no idea how to categorise _that_ however-lack of evidence and information did that, even to a tactician. He may not be Shikamaru, but he knew what he was doing better than most Shinobi.

"This place stinks," his fellow, masked ANBU said, annoyed.

Yamato was getting more and more restless as every day passed. Normally, Kakashi would only see this side of the wood master once his old friend had downed a few beers. Following lead after lead on Sasuke and coming up short for weeks on end did that to a person; the copy ninja was feeling it too, but had always been better at hiding it than Yamato. They weren't in the Foundation after all. Still, they _did_ need to keep it up, at least for now.

"That's what happens when all the maids in town go on vacation at the same time," Kakashi remarked, his eyes (yes, he'd uncovered his Sharingan upon entry, considering they could use the visual advantage right now) roving over the desolate place.

"You're a funny man there, Mister Hatake."

Kakashi ignored him, now moving between the next two buildings-whether the enemy was still here or not (which he doubted), they still needed to remain out of open areas. He knew he was being followed, but pretended not to notice how Yamato was literally matching him step for step. He was bored, that had to be it. Years of working together in their prior ANBU days were making this mission easier to cope with, he supposed.

The wood master stopped suddenly, and his friend mirrored the move.

"Kakashi, over here."

"I see it." Kakashi swivelled, his Sharingan raking over the sight before them. For the first time since this mission had begun, they'd found a dead body. That wasn't normally something to be excited about of course, and they weren't, really, but change was good. It felt like they'd overcome some unseen hurdle-after all, the chances of the other missing villagers (from every town that had actually been _attacked_) being alive was slim, so what the hell had happened to the bodies?

"Oh Kami, Kakashi!" Yamato's voice was low and harsh, but clearly excited. In his haste to rid himself of his boredom, he jumped up, racing along the nearby rooftop, toward his goal. It was unprofessional really, and having no choice but to follow, Kakashi inwardly lamented that Yamato was making all the discoveries today. His Sharingan showed him however, what had caught the wood master's eye-movement. Whoever it was, they'd shifted out of sight in the instant following Yamato's declaration. He wasn't so sure this was a good idea anymore.

"Oh _fuck_!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes discreetly at the crass comment, and jumped down, landing lithely next to his friend, but almost falling over at the same time. "Fuck indeed."

It was Sasuke... right, a clone. Dishevelled, dirty, muddy... you name it. As Kakashi leant forward gingerly to get closer, Yamato immediately stood straight, looking around warily. This was weird. What was it doing all the way out here, and better yet, why hadn't it already self-destructed? He'd been excited a moment ago, but _this_ was downright ominous. He'd always thought, once they got their hands on a clone, it would be after a long battle, and he'd be in desperate need for a medic. Of course, those particular fantasies involved a buxom (or not buxom, whatever) woman who would give him a back massage and then join him in the bathtub. He would also be a hero to her, and she'd convince the Hokage that he could take the rest of the war off.

This mission was messing with his head, and this place was nothing compared to some of the literally bloodied labs they'd found. Yamato looked back at their quarry, his eyes narrowing. What the _hell_ was going on?

Finally, the clone (which was acting more like a frightened child) locked eyes with Kakashi, promptly falling into some weird Sharingan fuelled genjutsu. The wood master didn't want to know which one.

"We should take it to Inoichi," Kakashi said, looking less than happy however.

Yamato glanced around again. "I'm not sure this is such a good idea."

"Agreed, but we have to take the chance."

"It's not worth the risk, Senpai."

Kakashi sighed, staring down at the unconscious clone of Sasuke. This was what they'd been hoping for-a closer look at one of these things without it blowing up in their faces. But in a different way, this one might just do it anyway. What were the chances they would stumble upon a scene where capturing a clone was as simple as making it go to sleep? He knew his friend was envisioning the weirdest possibilities when it came to his Sharingan, but a simple command to sleep was enough. It was a nifty little thing...

"I'll contact Inoichi," Kakashi suggested. "We can leave it up to him, since it's his base we'll be risking."

Yamato sighed. "Agreed, but let me use a wood clone instead of Pakkun, that way we can know his decision right away."

The copy ninja nodded his assent and as his friend created the necessary clone, he knelt down in front of the faux copy of his former student, deciding to physically restrain him as well; he always travelled with wire or chakra enhanced rope anyway. Time flowed normally, no matter how they perceived it, but to make it seem shorter, they decided to wait for Yamato's clone in one of the abandoned buildings. Their captive slept away the hours it took for the wood master to get a response from his clone.

Standing up as he was contacted, Yamato stared out a window, concentrating as he held a hand to his ear. The silence eventually started freaking Kakashi out: what could they possibly be talking about for this long?

When he finally turned away from the window, Yamato didn't look happy. "He says 'yes'. And for the record Kakashi, he's just as crazy as you."

"I'll be sure to let him know how you really feel. Ready to go?"

"As I'll ever be, I guess."

"I know you don't like this," Kakashi said. "Neither do I-but no matter what, this is an opportunity we can't let slip by. We just need to be vigilant."

He got no response, but the man knew he was right. They left immediately, Kakashi carrying the clone, and travelled in silence. Yamato sighed-that massage from a gorgeous, buxom medic was looking more and more unattainable now.

–XXX–

Entry into a well hidden allied encampment-settlement or top-secret Intelligence Site-wasn't easy. But Kakashi and Yamato had been given that clearance, and the means with which to find and enter, when this war had first broken out. The number of people on that list wasn't short, but it was selective nonetheless. They waited, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, for Inoichi to deactivate the sealing jutsu that surrounded this particular location, momentarily. Trees parted and a low laying fog cleared, their vision now unimpeded.

Almost immediately, several ANBU were upon them, one of them relieving Kakashi of his burden-the unconscious Sasuke clone stirred in its sleep, and a moment later, was awake. It looked so calm now, like it wasn't in the arms of the enemy, and Kakashi suppressed a shiver. He removed his mask-their mission wasn't technically an ANBU one, just another faux under the Hokage's instruction, so he was allowed to here-and Yamato did the same.

"I share your concerns," Inoichi said, once they were in the building, and Yamato reiterated his concerns about bringing the clone to this base. "But the security here is better than even at the allied encampments-even if someone like Sasuke found us, the emergency exit is a teleporting scroll, and there's no way he'd be able to stop everyone from getting out."

"So we're risking everything on that assumption?" Yamato asked, annoyed. "I know," he added, when the interrogation specialist moved to speak. "I get it-I just don't like it."

"Noted."

Kakashi let out a deep sigh as Inoichi turned his back on them and re-entered the building, finally following his subordinates. "You can be a real pain, you know?"

"I thought you said I had to be drunk for that?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Let's find something to eat."

They'd run out of supplies on the way here. He left the entry with Yamato, heading toward the break room, and Inoichi turned in the opposite direction.

"Dad?" Ino was standing just inside the door to the Interrogation Room when she sensed the approach of the familiar chakra. Several ANBU came into view, the passageway had been darkened to the point where she hadn't realised it was them, and she inhaled sharply. They had Sasuke! No, it couldn't be _him_. She peered closer at him, noting the differences in his demeanour that Sakura had told her about... it was a clone.

Ino shivered, avoiding eye contact, even though the clones didn't seem to have the Sharingan. He was staring at her and she was suddenly and seriously freaked out. His hands were tied behind his back, and the ANBU didn't hesitate over the threshold, moving him into the room and handing this faux copy over to the members of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force that were waiting. The scene was familiar to Ino-Shimon Hijiri, Mozuku, and Tonbo Tobitake having taken their places around the Mind Reading Amplification Machine (M.R.A.M for short). It wasn't the one from Konoha, but this makeshift version did the job well enough. Her father's skill was unparalleled after all.

"Ino?"

She jumped at the sound of her father's voice; distracted by the entrance of the clone of their enemy, she had almost forgotten she'd sensed his presence.

"You shouldn't be in here," he said, and she groaned.

"Give it a rest dad, how else am I going to get better at this than you?"

Inoichi waved to the ANBU and they promptly disappeared. "You should be going over the data we've collected so far on the other prisoner; I'll be interrogating the Uchiha's clone."

"Is this such a good idea?" She asked.

"You sound like Yamato."

Ino flicked her hair out of her face, frustrated. "Yamato-Sensei is right then..."

"It's what he and Kakashi have been looking for since this whole thing started," Inoichi said. "Please leave the room, Ino."

She groaned, glancing back at the clone, who was now craning his neck to keep staring at her and decided her father was right about that-she needed to get some fresh air. If she smoked, this would be the perfect time to use it to relax. But no, she wouldn't be taking it up.

Ino found her usual spot quickly, above ground: ever since she'd first arrived at this place, her father would send her out of the Interrogation Room for the more difficult cases, and she'd angrily gone outside to sulk quietly. She was supposed to be helping for Kami sake! Her medical ninjutsu wasn't going to get any better, so she didn't bother trying to do so-it was fine, as she was still better than a lot of other medics, and she still practised it occasionally. She wanted to learn more from her father. The war was just a backdrop, and an excuse.

She let out a groan and lay back, now focusing on the clouds above her head. Only a few minutes of solitude were afforded her and Ino sat up stiffly at the sound of something moving in the surrounding shrubbery. She peered into the trees. Only certain people were able to enter here without setting off the alarms. And there was definitely someone in there, watching her...

–XXX–

He had never liked the Uchiha, and really, who could blame him? Gaara was always on the opposite sides as Sasuke, even before he turned on Konoha: it was just the way it was. But looking at the clones that had surrounded his encampment, he lamented on it regardless-that had to be Naruto's influence. He didn't _want_ to hate him. Something had clearly snapped in that man's head, and when an Uchiha went mad, everyone else was made to suffer. Look at Obito.

Gaara moved slightly, shifting into his usual, but casual, battle stance. If he had his way, no clone would get close enough to require him to resort to taijutsu. And it was time to put his plan into action.

"Gaara!" The fifth Hokage's voice called out, and the next instant, she was standing next to him. "You little punk," she said good-naturedly, glancing at his gourd. "You better leave some of them for me."

The idea of his sand tsunami taking out the entire army and leaving her hanging annoyed her. She'd called for Sakura in anticipation of the lack of medical stability of this place-she couldn't do it all herself, given everything-and the fact that this was the only Shinobi base that had civilians right now.

Gaara reminded himself quietly that, despite his complaining, Naruto did care a lot about the Hokage. There was no reason to respond to her. He just grunted and folded his arms over his chest, ignoring Tsunade's comment of "show off".

"They're more organised than the last time I saw them," Temari said-she and Kankuro were both on site, but the latter was currently leading the contingent on the southern wall.

Gaara nodded. "Sai's report on their change of behaviour has been invaluable." This meant, in his mind, that this wasn't going to be as easy as the last time.

"Stop your yammering," Tsunade said. "They're coming."

Gaara pushed sand to his feet, lifting himself over the fence in front of them-his target was the middle swarm of faux Uchihas, considering it was the most densely packed. Despite his confidence, he was worried. Even when they won this battle, these _things_ would just keep coming. They were going to have to evacuate, either way.

"He's not getting them all," Temari growled, brandishing her fan. "I won't even break a sweat."

Tsunade scoffed. "First one to a hundred wins?"

–XXX–

"Boo!"

Ino squealed and two sets of beady eyes bugged out at her. "You guys are evil!"

Her team mates were getting on her nerves. They'd come to see her a day ago, because their newest assignment wasn't due to start for another few days, and Choji had roped Shikamaru into several practical jokes on her since then.

"Don't you guys have anything better to be doing?" She snapped, jumping to her feet. "Like, I don't know, helping out the allied forces!"

"Calm down Ino," Choji moaned, stepping into view and dragging his lazy friend behind him. "There's enough chefs in that kitchen-we don't want to clog up the works until we're needed."

She groaned. "Trust you to use a cooking metaphor. What exactly _is_ your next assignment, anyway?"

"Sorry Ino," Shikamaru drawled, his eyes drifting skyward. "We can't tell you that."

She let out an exasperated grunt. "Nobody tells me _anything_!"

"But Ino, it's for your own safety," her chubby friend insisted, already pigging out.

"Me not being bored and therefore not homicidal is for _your_ own safety," she snapped. "Now spill!" They fell silent and she screamed. Why was everyone deliberately pissing her off today? "Aah!"

Slowly, a mischievous smile crept over Choji's face. "Gotcha! Just kidding! Shikamaru's dad has organised for us to meet up with his girlfriend when she leaves the Suna base-they'll be dragging me back to Konoha with them. Hopefully, there'll be no enemies there. We have to find some old documents that apparently might shed some light on a lab Kakashi-Sensei and Yamato found a week ago."

Ino felt like she was close to sobbing. "You guys are evil," she murmured.

"Yeah, but you love us anyway."

"There you are."

Ino spun around at the sound of Kakashi's voice. She had to admit, despite her romantic interest being directed elsewhere, she found her little forehead's former Sensei very enticing. From what she had seen so far-part of the lower face and a good look at the rest of him, for medical reasons of course-he was extremely... _magnificent_. She loved that word. It was so fitting.

"Your father wanted me to relay a message to you," the copy ninja said. "Something about being too busy for some training you guys had organised this afternoon. The Sasuke clone's a handful, apparently."

Ino felt the last part of her sanity slipping away as Kakashi lifted his head slightly to look at what Shikamaru was now staring at. His visible eyes widened imperceptivity. It was an ink bird.

–XXX–

The place had gone quiet. He didn't like it. Inoichi pulled out of the clone's mind. This wasn't Sasuke, in any way, not even to the point where a clone was supposed to mimic the original. There were no common personality traits, and even though this _thing_ had knowledge on the Uchiha's battle techniques and his intentions-to a limited degree-it was nothing like him. It was as if all Sasuke had done was copy the outside, while leaving the inside the way it was.

He frowned at that. The way it _was_... The clone was flesh and blood, with a number of Sasuke's negligible qualities just tacked on, to fool the eye and all types of trackers, rather than mirror him appropriately. But these qualities on their own weren't enough to have created it in the first place, not by a long shot. The answer was staring him in the face; coupled with the reports from both Kakashi and Yamato, gathered during their searches for the wayward Sasuke, Inoichi could see it plain as day. And it disgusted him.

"Yamanaka-san!"

The familiar voice broke his thoughts apart and, a moment later, a shrill whistle reminded him this place had a very sensitive alarm system. It had been almost a week since it had gone off by accident-the local fauna was rather inquisitive-but the strain in that voice told him this was no false alarm, literally.

"Come here," Inoichi said, waving to Shimon. He had information that needed to be passed on, no matter what happened here. He held his hand over the crown of the man's head, and closed his eyes. A minute later, an explosion from ground level disrupted his thoughts. He pulled away, worried. "Get out of here!" He barked at the chunin still with him. "Take the teleport out."

"And you, sir?" Shimon asked.

"There are still others top-side," Inoichi said. "I'm going to go to them-keep the door open for us."

The three chunin nodded solemnly and disappeared in a flurry, as they were told. The emergency destination for their teleportation jutsu was the Suna encampment, since it was the closest allied site. The further the distance, the more unstable, and therefore dangerous the jutsu became. Shimon, Mozuku, and Tonbo had one task now, which was to inform the Hokage that this base was now off limits.

'_Just in case no-one else comes through,'_ he thought, and shook his head, glancing at the Sasuke clone, which was unconscious again. Yamato had been right it seemed.

Wasting no more time, Inoichi left the room, running through the darkened hallway; he hadn't exactly lied to his subordinates, as his destination ground level, but if he was right, he couldn't do anything to help them now. That explosion hadn't taken out the power grid (this place was actually a long abandoned facility from the first great war), but the chakra behind it was familiar and he knew that if anyone had survived that attack from _him_, that would have been quickly rectified.

No, Inoichi had a larger picture to consider. This place held many secrets, considering extracting said secrets was its purpose, and he needed to destroy the evidence. The holding cells were still locked, but he didn't care about them, only a specific data terminal, which Shikamaru had dutifully looked over for him-the information that is. It contained, amongst other things, the locations of other bases. So he did as the Nara genius suggested for this situation, and instead of uploading the computer virus, he burned the workstations away with a fire based jutsu-the effect was instantaneous, and irreversible.

Heading toward the basement on the faint hope that their attacker wasn't already in the facility and blocking their way, Inoichi stopped suddenly. A shadow passed over him, and the familiar chakra of a comrade caught his attention. A second later, the man appeared before him.

"Yamanaka-san." The ANBU grunted out, before falling forward. His body went still and Inoichi forced himself to ignore how the man had hit the ground. Standing behind the corpse, his killer was now staring angrily at the interrogator, his red eyes examining him closely.

"Your arrival is unexpected," Inoichi lied calmly, avoiding the Sharingan's hypnotic gaze.

"As is yours," Sasuke growled out his hand on the sword attached to his obi. "So tell me, where is that daughter of yours?"

–XXX–

**I know, I know, this wasn't the chapter I'd promised you guys-that's what happens when I have to rewrite things to accommodate for the fickleness that is my brain. But next time is definitely the NejiSaku VS GaaSaku fluffiness I've been harping on about, promise, which is basically, a bunch of what was originally going to be here. :) That and more NejiSaku, as they are the reason we're all here after all. ;)**

**And, no, there's no SasuIno in here. Just in case anyone took that "staring" the wrong way. Cheers! XD**


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